E. Coli Strains Have Varied Effects
Health officials in Illinois and Georgia are looking for the root cause of two separate types of E. coli contamination.
In suburban Chicago, more than 4,000 people came down with diarrhea caused by a strain of E. coli linked to a single catering establishment. In the Atlanta area, an even deadlier strain of E. coli has stricken six young children.
These two recent reports of E. coli may have some people confused. CBS 'This Morning' Health Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay helps sort out the latest scare.
There are hundreds of different strains or types of E. coli bacteria. The 4,000 people who got sick in the Chicago area came in contact with a mild form of E. coli that basically gave them watery diarrhea, some cramping, or mild fever.
Only about 20 of those people went to the hospital for treatment of their symptoms, and it's unlikely any of them are in serious health danger. Health officials have traced the outbreak to a single caterer who serviced 530 parties in the area, but the actual source of the contamination still has not been identified.
Atlanta cases are the form of E. coli we are used to hearing about. The six children were exposed to E. coli 0157:h7, the deadlier form of E. coli, the same E. coli found in hamburgers at Jack In The Box a few years back. But instead of beef being the suspected culprit, health officials report the common link is a community pool.
E. coli is a type of bacteria, and all humans and animals have it in their gut. Most strains are harmless, but there are those which can cause mild to deadly conditions.
E. coli 0157:h7 is found in the intestines of healthy cattle. The problem comes when meat is contaminated during the slaughtering process and mixed into beef when it's ground. If meat is not cooked thoroughly to 165 degrees to kill the E. coli 0157:h7, infection can result.
Contaminated meat smells and looks normal, and it only takes a little bit to make you very sick. Outbreaks of this deadlier E. coli are more likely when hamburger meat is improperly handled or insufficiently cooked. Drinking unpasteurized milk and drinking or swimming in sewage-contaminated water also can cause the infection.
In Atlanta, pool water has been cited as the source of the outbreak. That means parents must be extra cautious about where they allow their children to swim.
If pool water is not properly chlorinated, a child or the elderly could be at increased risk for exposure. E. coli 0157:h7 is deadly in children under 5 years of age and the elderly, so any hint of an outbreak, even if it is small, is cause for caution.
This deadlier form of E. coli produces a powerful toxin that can completely destroy the body's red blood cells, and the result of is kidney failure. Other classic symptoms are bloody diarrhea and svere abdominal cramps.
The milder form of E. coli is not as serious, but it's still important to be aware of its effects. The strain is called ETEC, short for enterotoxigenic E. coli, also known as travelers' diarrhea. This type of E. coli contamination produces a toxin that causes watery diarrhea which can last for three to four days.
Travelers' diarrhea is caused by eating food or water that has been tainted by feces. Both cooked and uncooked food can harbor the bacteria if improperly handled, so hand-washing is an important means of prevention. ETEC also is transmitted through unchlorinated tap water, ice, and unpasteurized milk and dairy products.
The case where 4,000 people were affected by travelers' diarrhea in Chicago is significant because travelers' diarrhea is extremely rare in this country. Most often people get travelers' diarrhea caused by this milder E. coli when they visit developing countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. That's why it is important for the Chicago health department to find the true source of the contamination.
For both types of E. coli, most people will recover within 5 to 10 days without antibiotics or any other treatment. It has not been proven that antibiotics actually reverse the course of the condition.
If you experience diarrhea and have blood in the stool, see a doctor immediately. Blood in the stool could indicate serious kidney malfunction, a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This is a life-threatening condition, usually treated in an intensive care unit. Blood transfusions and kidney dialysis is often required.
If your stool is watery it is important not to take an anti-diarrhea medicine, because they have not been proven to work. Drinking lots of fluids to replace fluids and salts lost in the stool will get you back on track soon enough.