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Around 80% of the cases of E. coli are associated with strains possessing the K1 capsular polysaccharide, also associated with septicemia and urinary tract infections in children.
Causes
MostE. coli infections come from:
Eating undercooked ground beef (the inside is pink)
Drinking contaminated (impure) water
Drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk
Working with cattle
Water
Unpasteurized apple juice/cider
Sandwiches
Lettuce
Dry cured salami
Produce from manure-fertilized gardens
Handling potatoes
Radish sprouts, alfalfa sprouts
Yogurt
Healthy beef and dairy cattle may carry the E. coli germ in their intestines. The meat can get contaminated with the germ during the slaughtering process. When beef is ground up, the E. coli germs get mixed throughout the meat.
Symptoms
Symptoms of the diseases caused by EHEC include abdominal cramps and diarrhoea that may in some cases progress to bloody diarrhoea (haemorrhagic colitis). Fever and vomiting may also occur. The infection period can range from three to eight days, with a median of three to four days. Most patients recover within 10 days, but in a small proportion of patients, the infection may lead to a life-threatening disease, such as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). HUS is characterized by acute renal failure, haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia.
In the United States, hemolytic uremic syndrome is the principal cause of acute kidney failure in children, and most cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome are caused by E. coli.
Treatment
Most people recover without antibiotics within 5 to 10 days. Antibiotics should not be used to treat this infection. There is no evidence that antibiotics improve the course of disease, and it is thought that treatment with some antibiotics could lead to kidney complications. Antidiarrheal agents, such as loperamide should also be avoided.
Clear liquids are recommended for persons with diarrhea to prevent dehydration and loss of electrolytes. For adults, packaged oral rehydration salts or premixed oral rehydration solutions (both available over-the-counter) may be used, although traditional remedies with salty liquids such as chicken soup are also effective. Although antimotility agents can effectively relieve ETEC-associated diarrhea and cramps, they may prolong the time it takes the body to rid itself of the toxin.
Antimotility medications should be avoided by persons with high fevers or bloody diarrhea, and should be discontinued if diarrhea symptoms persist more than 48 hours.
Alien writes for Skin
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