E. coli 0157:H7

 

What is E. coli 0157:H7?

E. coli are germs (bacteria) that normally live in the intestines of people and animals. Most strains of this germ are harmless, but the strain called E. coli 0157:H7 can make people sick.


What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms are severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. Some people vomit or run a fever, but these are less common. Sometimes the diarrhea turns bloody after 2 or 3 days. These symptoms usually go away by themselves after 6 to 8 days. In a small number of people, this strain of E. coli can cause a rare but serious problem called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).


What is HUS?

HUS is a disease that affects the kidneys and the blood clotting system. It starts about a week after the diarrhea begins and affects more children than adults. In bad cases, dialysis is used for a while to do the kidney's work. Some people also develop a bleeding problem or low blood count (anemia). Most people who get HUS will regain their health with no blood or kidney problems.


Where is E. coli 0157:H7 found?

It lives in the intestines of healthy cattle and can get into the meat when cattle are slaughtered. The germs are killed when the meat is thoroughly cooked. The most common food source is ground beef (hamburg), because the grinding spreads the germs throughout the meat. These germs have also been found in raw milk, roast beef, apple cider, salami, and sometimes on vegetables fertilized with contaminated cow manure.


How is it spread?

E. coli 0157:H7 must be swallowed to cause an infection. This can happen if you eat or drink something that contains these germs and is not properly cooked or pasteurized. The germs can be spread from person to person if someone who is infected does not thoroughly was his or her hands with soap or water before preparing food for others. Spreading E. coli germs this way is more common in families and day-care centers than in schools and restaurants. 


How is E. coli 0157:H7 diagnosed?

Infection with this germ can only be diagnosed by testing a stool sample. It is not a routine test, so if your doctor or nurse thinks you may have E. coli 0157:H7, she or he must ask the lab to test for it. 


How is the disease treated?

There is no treatment for E. coli 0157:H7. Antibiotics do not help and may even be harmful. Do not try to stop the diarrhea, which should go away by itself after a few days. Just drink plenty of liquids to replace the fluids being lost. For severe cases of HUS, dialysis or transfusions are sometimes used until the patient's kidneys and blood return to normal.


How can you prevent it?

The most important things to remember are that the germs can only make you sick if you swallow them, and that the germs are killed by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water and by thorough cooking. Follow the tips below; if you make them your habits, you can prevent E. coli 0157:H7 - as well as other diseases:

  • Do not eat unpasteurized dairy products (such as cheese) or undercooked or rare ground beef.
  • Do not raw milk or cider made from unwashed apples.
  • Always cook meat until the center is brown, not pink. Cook hamburgers until the center is 160F.
  • Do not put cooked meat on a dish or cutting board that held raw meat.
  • Always wash your hands with soap and water after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper. Wash them again before touching or eating food. 

 


Are there any restrictions for people with E. coli 0157:H7?

Yes. Because E. coli 0157:H7 is a disease that can easily be spread to other people, health care providers are required by law to report cases of E. coli 0157:H7 to the local board of health.

In order to protect the public, workers at food-related businesses who have E. coli 0157:H7 must stay out of work until they don't have diarrhea and one lab test on a stool sample shows that there are no E. coli 0157:H7 germs. Workers in food-related businesses who have diarrhea and live with someone who has E. coli 0157:H7 must also show that they have none of the germs in their stool. Food-related businesses include restaurants, sandwich shops, hospital kitchens, supermarkets, dairy or food-processing plants. This regulation also includes workers in schools, residential programs, day-care and health care facilities who feed, give mouth care or dispense medications to clients.

Source: http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/dph/ecoli.htm

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E. coli 0:157:H7 at a Glance

The bacteria E. coli 0:157:H7, also known just as 0:157, is a rare but dangerous type of E. coli. It lives in the intestinal tracts of mammals and man. Some cattle carry the bacteria. It can be transferred from animal to animal, animal to man, from animal to man on food and from person to person through close contact or food. NOTE: 0:157:H7 can survive refrigeration and freezer storage. If present, it can multiply slowly even at 44 degrees F. Thorough cooking to 160¡ F is the best safeguard against infection.

Food sources.

Undercooked hamburger and roast beef, raw milk, improperly processed cider, contaminated water and mayonnaise and vegetables grown in cow manure have caused outbreaks in this country over the last 10 years. Samples from retail stores have also shown the organism to be present on lamb, pork and poultry samples but no illness has been traced to these foods.

Outbreaks.

Since 1982, when 0:157 was first shown to cause foodborne illness, there have been at least 16 major outbreaks in the United States. Some 22 deaths have been recorded. CDC experts estimate there may be as many as 20,000 cases a year.

Testing for 0:157:H7

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and Agricultural Research Service are working with a number of private research and university groups to develop faster, more accurate testing for this bacteria in meat plants and on food products. Several commercial lab screening tests are currently in evaluation. If approved, these new tests will cut days off the lab tests now available. However, screening tests do not tell for certain whether the bacteria is present, and a true on-site quick test is still very much in the future.

The illness.

0:157:H7 is dangerous. It appears that just a few of these bacteria can make you sick. After an incubation period of 4-9 days, the disease normally lasts 4-10 days. Patients may suffer bloody diarrhea, cramps and low-grade fevers.

Complications.

Young children, the elderly and infirm may develop complications. Children may develop HUS (hemolytic uremic syndrome) which can cause kidney failure brain damage, strokes and seizures. A similar problem, TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura), can cause strokes, a side-effect often seen in the elderly.

Protect Yourself.

  • Generally, if you cook meat, poultry and fish to 160 degrees F until all pink is gone, you can avoid problems with 0:157:H7
  • Return any undercooked food at restaurant for further cooking.
  •  Don't drink raw milk. Use only safe, treated water.
  •  Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating.
  •  While most fresh cider on the market today is probably safe, you may want to take extra precautions if your family includes at-risk persons like the very young, the elderly or people with immune system problems. In that event, buy pasteurized cider OR heat it to 160 degrees F (a slow simmer where steam is starting to rise from the pan) before serving or refrigerating.
  •  Hard cider? Cider you find in a liquor store is pasteurized. Hard cider from a roadside stand could constitute a slight risk to at-risk persons.
Source:  REPRINT FROM FOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS
SUMMER SUPPLEMENT 1993