Here's Why E. Coli is Still a Problem
While some strains of Escherichia coli are harmless, approximately 265,000 people are infected with a dangerous form of E. coli each year. And the consequences, for some, can be devastating. Although E. coli causes mild symptoms in most people, it can cause life-threatening complications in 5% to 10% of the infected population.
Some strains of E. coli are harmful to humans, causing gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever. The bacteria is foodborne, which means we can get it from eating contaminated and uncooked foods. However, most E. coli is actually transmitted because of poor hygiene, not contaminated food. Let's look at how and why it happens.
Consequences of E. Coli Infections
Depending on the strain, E. coli infections can cause gastrointestinal symptoms for three to seven days which can itself cause more serious problems such as dehydration. The intensity can range from watery diarrhea and stomach cramps to bloody diarrhea and a high fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If it's not controlled, the infection can lead to dehydration and, in serious cases, kidney damage.
Poor Hygiene at Fault for Most Infections
There are two main strains of E. coli: one found in meat and the other in human feces and fluids. Researchers discovered that an antibiotic-resistant E. coli strain found in human blood, feces and sewage is responsible for most infections, not those caused by food products. This means that most infections are likely caused by poor hygiene.
Although E. coli is not spread through the air or by casual person-to-person contact, such as coughing or kissing, it does spread rapidly through a population via contaminated objects, such as hands, food, counters, dishes and water. This bacteria is most commonly found in fecal material. When an object is contaminated it can, in turn, infect the person who handles it.
Because there was no crossover of the strains, researchers concluded that E. coli is transferred from human-to-human more often than it is transferred from animal/food to human.
How to Prevent an E. Coli Infection
How is it that people ingest fecal particles? Poor hygiene. A lack of proper handwashing can transfer fecal matter to every object and person touched thereafter. An unsuspecting person then touching a doorknob or seat arm gets the bacteria on their hands and then perhaps bites their thumb or touches their food without washing their hands, and, sadly, they will ingest the bacteria and probably fall sick from it.
The key to preventing these types of transfers is frequent hand washing. We cannot stress this enough: we should all be washing our hands after we visit the restroom and occasionally throughout the day. The CDC recommends washing hands before eating, before and after caring for someone who is sick, after using the restroom, after touching any animal, after touching trash, after nose-blowing, after coughing or sneezing and before, during and after food preparation.
Most E. coli infections are caused by poor hygiene and not always from our own but also from those around us. The good news is that we can help protect ourselves through better hygiene, too, and we can teach kids the same. While we still have to worry about contaminated food prepared by others, we can protect ourselves and our families from most infections.
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