5 Things You Need to Know About Escherichia Coli

1. What to Watch

Escherichia coli is a type of bacteria that lives in healthy intestines to aid in absorbing vitamins and nutrients. A certain strain of E. coli is responsible for serious food poisoning. The causes come from unwashed spinach, lettuce, green onions and raw fruits, especially melons. Unwashed sprouts and tomatoes are also common contamination sources. The main culprit of E. coli food-borne illness is undercooked hamburger. You can also get sick from E. coli-contaminated water or person-to-person contact.

2. Danger in the System

Most people can safely endure the E. coli sickness until it completely passes out of the system. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include cramping, elevated temperature, nausea or vomiting, bloody stools and dehydration. The worst strain, E. Coli O127:H7, can cause kidney failure or death. Children and the elderly are at most risk of death from contamination, so take these symptoms seriously. In most cases, the symptoms subside in a few days' time.

3. Getting the Treatment

You should always call your doctor if you think you have E. coli poisoning. Medical professionals can best determine an E. coli treatment by testing a stool sample to identify the strain. Treatment includes drinking lots of water and watching for any complications. Doctors don't generally recommend medications to stop the diarrhea, so you can pass the contamination completely out of the body. If you become severely dehydrated, you should check in to a hospital for fluids through an IV.

4. Prevention is the Best Medicine

Preventing food contamination is important, so wash your hands before you cook. Make sure to leave no pink anywhere in the meat when you cook ground beef, and don't place cooked hamburgers or any other food on a surface where you had raw meat. Test hamburgers to make sure the internal temperature is 155 degrees F. Use very hot water and soap to wash surfaces where you've prepared raw meat. At a restaurant, order hamburgers well done. And thoroughly wash all produce, especially lettuce or spinach, even when it's pre-bagged.

5. Keep Kids Safe

It's critical to identify E. coli contamination early in children. Children are at a greater risk of complications or death. Under the age of 5, a child can get hemolytic uremic syndrome, damage of the blood vessels in the kidneys. You should inspect any hamburgers from a restaurant to make sure they're fully cooked before allowing your child to eat them. Unpasteurized apple juice can carry E. coli bacteria, so always buy pasteurized juice. If you have any doubt about whether your child has the flu or E. coli poisoning, ask your doctor to do an E. coli test on a stool sample.