E. coli o157 fact sheet

E. coli o157 fact sheet

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  Hawaii State Departmentof Health Disease Investigation Branch Oahu 586-4586, Maui 984-8213, Hilo 933-0912, Kona 322-4877, Kauai 241-3563 Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (E. coli O157:H7) What is E. coli O157:H7? life-threatening condition usually treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) in a hospital. E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium E. coli. While most E. coli strains are Should a person with E. coli infection stay home harmless, this strain makes a powerful toxin, or from work or school? poison and can cause severe illness. Yes. Students with diarrhea should stay home from How do you get it? school until their doctor gives them permission to return. Food handlers, day care workers, and health E. coli O157:H7 can live in the intestines of healthy care workers must have their doctor's permission to cattle and other animals. Meat may become return to work, usually after a lab test shows they are contaminated during slaughter. Eating undercooked no longer infected. beef, especially ground beef, is a major cause of infection. Handling animals at farms and petting How can you keep from getting it? zoos can also be a cause of infection. Do not eat undercooked ground beef. Ground beef Other sources of the bacteria are raw sprouts, lettuce, should be cooked until a thermometer inserted into spinach, unpasteurized milk, juice, and swimming in the thickest part of the meat reads at least 160°F. or drinking sewage-contaminated water. Ground beef should not be pink in the middle. The bacteria are also found in the stools of infected Be careful to avoid cross-contamination when persons and can be passed from person to person if cooking in your home. Keep raw meat separate from good hand washing habits are not followed. other foods. Wash hands, counters and utensils with hot soapy water after they touch raw meat. Never What are the symptoms? place cooked hamburgers on the unwashed plate that E. coli O157:H7 infection often causes severe held the raw patties. bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps. Usually little Drink only pasteurized milk, juice or cider. or no fever is present. In children under 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can also cause a Wash fruits and vegetables well, especially those complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, in that will not be cooked. Avoid raw sprouts. which the red blood cells are destroyed and the Do not drink untreated water, and avoid swallowing kidneys fail. water while swimming. When do symptoms start? Wash your hands well after using the toilet, Symptoms usually appear 3-4 days after exposure to changing diapers and before preparing or eating the bacteria, but may be as short as 1 day or as long food. After changing diapers, wash the child’s hands as 10 days. as well as your own. What is the treatment for the disease? Wash your hands with soap and water after any contact with animals or livestock. Most persons recover without medical treatment in 5-10 days. Antibiotics should not be used to treat For more information, see the CDC’s website at this infection. Antidiarrheal agents like Imodium® http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/division/dfbmd/diseases should be avoided. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a /ecoli_o157h7/ Fact Sheets Revised September 2010 Disease Investigation Branch