E.coli (0157:H7)

What is it?

• E.coli 0157:H7 is a type of E.coli that makes a poison and can cause severe illness.
• Most kinds of E. coli are harmless and live in the intestines (bowel) of healthy animals and humans
  

Signs and Symptoms

• Symptoms can appear within 2 to 5 days after swallowing the bacteria in food or water but may occur as late as 10 days after ingestion of the bacteria
  
• You may have stomach pains, bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, but usually no fever
  

How do you get it?

• Eating contaminated food
• Eating meat (especially ground beef) that is rare or undercooked is the most common way of becoming infected
  
• Contact with animals or animal feces (stool), drinking unpasteurized milk and swimming in or drinking water contaminated with sewage
  
• May pass person to person: adults are contagious for a week or less, but some children may be contagious for 3 weeks
  

Treatment

• Most people recover without treatment in 5-10 days.
  

Complications

• Haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a serious problem that occurs in some infected people, where red blood cells are destroyed and kidney failure occurs.
  

Prevention

• Eat only thoroughly cooked meats
  
• Drink only pasteurized milk
  
• Wash cutting boards, utensils, and hands thoroughly
  
• Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating
  
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap before and after handling foods, before eating, and after using the toilet or changing diapers
  
• Ensure your drinking water is safe.  Test your well water at least 3 times per year   
  

E. coli is a reportable disease and must be reported to the Local Medical Officer of Health under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.