Human newborns are ill due to serious infections name as Escherichia coli.The GI tract of most warm-blooded animals is colonized by E. coli. It symptoms may occur within hours or a few days after birth. The bacterium is ingested in foods or water or obtained directly from other individuals handling the infant. The human bowel is usually colonized within 40 hours of birth. E. coli can adhere to the mucus overlying the large intestine. Members of the Enterobacteriaceae are rod-shaped, and are typically 1-5 m in length.

Around 80% of the cases of E. coli are associated with strains possessing the K1 capsular polysaccharide, also associated with septicemia and urinary tract infections in children.

Causes

MostE. coli infections come from:

Eating undercooked ground beef (the inside is pink)

Drinking contaminated (impure) water

Drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk

Working with cattle

Water

Unpasteurized apple juice/cider

Sandwiches

Lettuce

Dry cured salami

Produce from manure-fertilized gardens

Handling potatoes

Radish sprouts, alfalfa sprouts

Yogurt

Healthy beef and dairy cattle may carry the E. coli germ in their intestines. The meat can get contaminated with the germ during the slaughtering process. When beef is ground up, the E. coli germs get mixed throughout the meat.

Symptoms

Symptoms of the diseases caused by EHEC include abdominal cramps and diarrhoea that may in some cases progress to bloody diarrhoea (haemorrhagic colitis). Fever and vomiting may also occur. The infection period can range from three to eight days, with a median of three to four days. Most patients recover within 10 days, but in a small proportion of patients, the infection may lead to a life-threatening disease, such as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). HUS is characterized by acute renal failure, haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia.

In the United States, hemolytic uremic syndrome is the principal cause of acute kidney failure in children, and most cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome are caused by E. coli.

Treatment

Most people recover without antibiotics within 5 to 10 days. Antibiotics should not be used to treat this infection. There is no evidence that antibiotics improve the course of disease, and it is thought that treatment with some antibiotics could lead to kidney complications. Antidiarrheal agents, such as loperamide should also be avoided.

Clear liquids are recommended for persons with diarrhea to prevent dehydration and loss of electrolytes. For adults, packaged oral rehydration salts or premixed oral rehydration solutions (both available over-the-counter) may be used, although traditional remedies with salty liquids such as chicken soup are also effective. Although antimotility agents can effectively relieve ETEC-associated diarrhea and cramps, they may prolong the time it takes the body to rid itself of the toxin.

Antimotility medications should be avoided by persons with high fevers or bloody diarrhea, and should be discontinued if diarrhea symptoms persist more than 48 hours.