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E.
Coli is Commonly Found in the Human Digestive Tract
What
makes E. coli O157:H7 Dangerous?
By Tony Coveny
Food Poisoning News
E. coli
– Although Common in the Human Gut and Not Always Harmful, Some Strains Can
Make Consumers Quite Ill.
While
not pleasant to think about, all warm-blooded animals (including humans) have
bacteria lining their gut.
In
fact, the human body has trillions of what are considered “good” bacteria in
the intestines – maintaining a collaborative, symbiotic, relationship with each
other.
These
microbiotas are actually necessary in keeping the gut healthy and most promote
over-all health of the body.
Some
bacteria- such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), a common bacterium found in the
human gut, may not always be beneficial, but is typically harmless.
And
yet, as the American diet greatly contributes to the sort of bacteria in one’s
body, humans regularly and unwittingly introduce bad bacteria into their
system.
One
such bacteria, a strain of E. coli, is, according to the Mayo Clinic, a
particularly nasty strain that goes beyond causing bouts of diarrhea from
intestinal irritation, E. coli O157:H7 can cause much more severe symptoms and
especially in more health compromised individuals.
E coli
O157:H7 (among a small group of others) does, however, due to the poisonous
substance it produces called Shiga toxins.
Another
name for this strain of E. coli is Shiga toxigenic E. coli, or, simply
STEC.
Shiga
toxins cause an intestinal infection which is usually accompanied by nausea,
vomiting, bloody diarrhea and fever.
In more
severe cases STEC can lead to kidney failure.
In
fact, the leading cause of kidney failure has been identified as E coli
O157:H7.
Other
illnesses, such as urinary tract infections, respiratory illness such as
pneumonia and meningitis can develop from coming in contact with this strand of
E coli.
And,
according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and estimated 265 thousand
people in the United States are infected with STEC, which originates from fecal
matter.
This
bacterium flourishes in the stool of either humans or animals, and typically
contaminates our food sources through feces contaminated soil or water.
Since
the majority of our food supply comes from animals, or grows in soil and is
processed en masse, E. coli can easily make its way in to the foods we consume.
With
produce, the soil in which it grows and is then harvested from can contain
contaminated manure and if the produce is not washed thoroughly, say spinach,
for example, before being prepped and packaged, this pathogen will end up on
dinner tables.
While
meat, though presented in different ways – as cold cuts, hot dogs, ground, cut
into grill-ready steaks or formed into nuggets, are still, at the end of the
day, from warm-blooded animals.
And, as
these animals can have E. coli bacteria in their intestines, it can make its
way into these prepared meats.
Ground
meat, as an example, is made up of multiple animals and so if even one carries
the strain, it will be present in the end product.
Meat
then, must be cooked to a safe temperature that will hopefully kill the
bacteria before consumption.
The
same issue arises with unpasteurized dairy products.
Products
such as yogurt or cheese made with raw milk, or just the raw milk itself are
never heated, killing the bacteria, so there is a risk of the animal producing
the product passing along E. coli.
In
addition to our food source, as a means of contracting E. coli, and according
to the CDC, individuals can come into contact with E coli in many other ways.
Interacting with animals directly is one such way.
Working
with cattle, visiting a zoo, or even handling a household pet carries a risk.
The animal might carry the bacteria or certainly their feces might.
Thorough
washing of hands is vital, then, to mitigate the risk of infection.
And,
certainly, there is a risk even with human to human interaction. Changing a
diaper, using or cleaning a public restroom can expose an individual to
dangerous bacterium.
Again,
why it is vital to wash hands thoroughly and use disinfectants on compromised
surfaces. The opportunity to come in to contact with E. coli is great.
Practicing
good hygiene, both personal and in food preparation therefore, is paramount.
Washing
of hands before preparing foods seems fairly obvious. But, washing hands after
food prep, and washing all surfaces may not be as obvious.
According
to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) it is very important to always wash
hands with warm, soapy water following cleaning and sanitizing of all surfaces-
the refrigerator, counter tops, sink, cutting boards, after you have prepared
any food.
If the
food you have prepared is contaminated, you will have spread the bacteria to
many other surfaces- increasing risk of the spread to other ingredients and to
other individuals unwittingly picking up these germs.
And,
unwashed hands can pass contaminates on to items like baby bottles or
pacifiers, putting a vulnerable child in harm’s way.
Exposure
to E. coli can result in a range of outcomes. For an otherwise healthy
individual there may be very mild digestive upset for a brief time.
Or, for
this same otherwise healthy individual, contracting a more severe strain of E
coli, the symptoms might include a fever and body aches, nausea, vomiting and
diarrhea.
And,
again, for an immune compromised individual the results can be deadly.
If a
consumer suspects they have come into contact with E. coli they should consult
a healthcare provider.
Typically,
antibiotics are not the course of action that will be recommended – especially
as with STEC, the condition can be aggravated further.
And,
medical professionals will usually advise against using an anti-diarrheal
medication as well since this will delay the bodies normal response of shedding
the infection from the gut.
In most
cases the infection will clear on its own, in time, with the help of rest and
hydration.
Food
Poisoning News
is a news site dedicated to informing the public about food safety, food
poisoning outbreaks, food recalls, and related news. The information provided
by our website has been used as a resource by health investigators, professors,
colleges, universities, and health professionals around the globe.
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