WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2008
Food Poisoning's Sickening Legacy
Scientists Examine Link Between Foodborne Illnesses And Subsequent Health Problems
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Alyssa Chrobuck, who was hospitalized with E. coli during the 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak, displays a few of the many medications she takes and a photo of her as a child in her hospital bed Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, in Seattle. Now 20, Chrobuck has a host of unusual health problems that she says her doctors have attributed to that illness. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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Fast Facts E. coli Learn more about a dangerous strain of a common bacteria.
For now, some of the best evidence comes from the University of Utah, which has long tracked children with E. coli. About 10 percent of E. coli sufferers develop a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, where their kidneys and other organs fail.
Ten to 20 years after they recover, between 30 percent and half of HUS survivors will have some kidney-caused problem, says Dr. Andrew Pavia, the university's pediatric infectious diseases chief. That includes high blood pressure caused by scarred kidneys, slowly failing kidneys, even end-stage kidney failure that requires dialysis.
"I don't want to leave the message that everyone who had symptoms ... is in trouble," stresses Pavia.
Miserable as E. coli is, it doesn't seem to trigger long-term problems unless it started shutting down the kidneys the first time around, he says. "People with uncomplicated diarrhea, by and large we don't have evidence yet that they have complications."
Other proven long-term consequences:
While they eventually recover, "We don't know a great deal about what happens to those people five years later. What does 'normal' look like?" Tauxe says.
What about other patient complaints?
A variety of other organ problems might be triggered by HUS, that severe E. coli - because it causes blood clots all over the body that could leave a trail of damage, says Utah's Pavia. Among his hottest questions: HUS patients often suffer pancreatitis. Does that increase risk for diabetes later in life?
But proving a connection will require tracking a lot of patients who can provide very good medical records documenting their initial foodborne illness, he cautions.
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- And I just thought it was the Administration!
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- Funny how easily these grand medical experts point the finger at complications of food poisoning while all the while absolving themselves of prescribing the drugs (aka - poison to the body). Let me guess, to fix what''s wrong, now they''ll have to prescribe the victims more drugs (more money for themselves which is all they really care about).
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