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Raw food, not pasteurized or not well washed, water contaminated with sewage or poorly chlorinated in swimming pools. The bacterium Escherichia coli it lurks, produces toxins and generates infections that are sometimes harmful to humans. In most cases, it comes down to mild infections which pass on their own within a few days, but can sometimes become worse. For this reason, it is always better to know what to pay attention to and how to intervene appropriately.
What isEscherichia coli
A clarification is required. Exist various strains of the bacterium commonly referred to by the single name of Escherichia coliAnd not all of them are harmful to humans and animals. On the contrary. The bacterium it lives in our intestine and cooperates with the rest of the flora to carry out normal digestive and nutrient absorption functions. However, the same bacterium, if it escapes from its seat, can be the cause of urinary tract infections (such as cystitis from E. coli) and intestinal tract.
Pathogenic strains
The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that they occur every year in the United States tens of thousands of cases of Escherichia coli . In this case the responsible are the pathogenic strains of the bacterium, which mainly cause diarrhea and other symptoms affecting the gastrointestinal system. These pathogenic strains are harmful to humans because they are capable of develop particular toxins called Shiga (or Stec), which cause dysentery (or diarrhea with the presence of blood), and in the most severe cases can lead to kidney failure, especially in young children or in patients with compromised immune systems. This is the case, for example, of the more dangerous among the Escherichia colithe serotype O157: H7which if not properly treated can seriously damage the mucous membranes of the digestive system and the kidneys, causing kidney failure and, in case of serious complications, hemolytic-uremic syndrome. It is a disease that causes acute kidney failure – in the United States it is the number one cause of kidney failure in children -, haemolytic anemia (i.e. an excessive breakdown of red blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (the drastic decrease in the number of platelets resulting in difficulty in clot blood).
Where is theEscherichia coli
We mentioned it at the beginning: TheEscherichia coli it is often associated with poor hygiene and contamination. It can therefore be concentrated in sewage contaminated water and intended for human consumption, in swimming pools that are not properly chlorinated, and also in water for food use (also contaminated). Another common source are some categories of foods: improperly washed fruits and vegetables, raw meat (especially ground beef), cured meats, and unpasteurized foods such as dairy products or fruit juices. To avoid contagion, therefore, it is important to follow some personal hygiene rules and in the kitchen, such as washing your hands thoroughly, washing fruit and vegetables thoroughly, avoiding raw foods (especially meat) coming into contact with cooked foods, cooking the meat. However, contagion can also occur by direct contact with infected people or animals. In the case of people, for example, when they have not washed their hands well after touching raw meat or animal excrement (including domestic ones).
What are the symptoms and how is the diagnosis made
The main symptoms, we said, are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, sometimes fever and general fatigue. They generally appear later 3-4 days from contact with the bacterium or from ingestion of contaminated food or drink. The only way to have a certain diagnosis is fecal culture examination, but very often the symptoms go away on their own within, at most, a week. They can usually be aggravated if children, the elderly, or frail people (for example, patients with diabetes or kidney disease) become infected, or if the strain of Escherichia coli in circulation it is particularly dangerous. The uremic syndrome caused by O157: H7 (not surprisingly also called haemolytic or entero-haemorrhagic E. coli), if not treated promptly can be even lethal. To treat it, blood transfusions and dialysis are often required, while the use of antibiotics has proved even harmful.
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