E. Coli

What is E. Coli?

E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a germ or bacterium, that lives in the digestive tracts of humans.
E. coli is of many types and are harmless. But some types can cause bloody diarrhea.Strains of E. coli bacteria may cause severe anemia or kidney failure, leading to death.
Different strains of E. coli can cause urinary tract infections.

How do you get infected?

E. coli infection is transmitted by coming into contact with feces or stool of humans or animals. People are prone to infection when they drink water or eat food that’s been contaminated by feces.

E. coli in food

E. coli traces can get into meat during it’s processing. If meat not cooked to 160°F (71°C), the bacteria may survive and infect when you consume it.
Foods that can be infected with E. coli include:

Raw milk or dairy products. Bacteria can spread from a cow’s udders to its milk.
Raw fruits and vegetables, such as lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, or unpasteurized apple cider or other unpasteurized juices that have come in contact with infected animal feces.
E. coli in water

Feces infected with E. coli get into lakes, pools, and water supplies. People are prone to infection when contamination occurs in water supply, if it hasn’t been properly treated with chlorine.

E. coli from person-to-person contact

The bacteria spreads from a person to another, when an infected person does not wash well after a bowel movements. E. coli can spread from an infected person’s hands to others through objects too.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of an E. coli intestinal infection are:

Bloody diarrhea.
Stomach cramps.
Nausea and vomiting.

E. coli causes serious problems with the blood or kidneys whose symptoms include:

Pale skin.
A fever.
Weakness.
Bruising.
Passing only small amounts of urine.
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