E. coli scare at St. Norbert
Be awareof the causes and symptoms of E. coli
Brittney Sandberg
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
"Dear St. Norbert community, at about 4:30 p.m. today, we were notified that a St. Norbert student who fell ill last weekend has tested positive for E. coli 0157:H7," was the opening line of an e-mail that was sent to all students and staff at St. Norbert College after a suspected E. coli case was confirmed.
According to the Center for Disease Control Web site, E. coli is short for Escherichia coli, a bacterium which has several hundred strains.
The letters and numbers in the name of each strain of E. coli refer to specific markers on the surface of each strain that separates it from other types of E. coli, similar to the way in which the different blood types are distinguished from each other.
While most strains are not dangerous, the one in question, 0157:H7, can be traced back to 1982, when contaminated hamburgers caused a severe outbreak of bloody
diarrhea.
An E. coli O157:H7 infection can spread several ways, the most common of which is eating undercooked ground beef, which can appear completely normal, but may still be contaminated.
Bean sprouts and fresh leafy vegetables have also been known to carry the bacterium. The bacteria can also be passed from person to person if proper hand washing and general hygiene are neglected.
It is suspected that the student ate all his meals on campus during the timeframe in which he contracted the infection. However, no other cases of illness were reported.
Even so, St. Norbert's Food Service department terminated its use of ground beef and spinach until local and state public health agencies were able to provide more information on the bacteria's source.
Most people suffering from an E. coli infection have severe diarrhea, in which one often sees blood and abdominal cramps about three to four days after the bacteria's introduction. However, symptoms might not appear for up to nine days after exposure, or an infected person may not ever exhibit any symptoms.
Most infected people recover within five to ten days without treatment. The use of antibiotics to treat this infection is not recommended. There is no proof that antibiotics will improve the course of the disease, and it is believed that treatment with certain antibiotics could lead to kidney problems.
According to the Center for Disease Control Web site, E. coli is short for Escherichia coli, a bacterium which has several hundred strains.
The letters and numbers in the name of each strain of E. coli refer to specific markers on the surface of each strain that separates it from other types of E. coli, similar to the way in which the different blood types are distinguished from each other.
While most strains are not dangerous, the one in question, 0157:H7, can be traced back to 1982, when contaminated hamburgers caused a severe outbreak of bloody
diarrhea.
An E. coli O157:H7 infection can spread several ways, the most common of which is eating undercooked ground beef, which can appear completely normal, but may still be contaminated.
Bean sprouts and fresh leafy vegetables have also been known to carry the bacterium. The bacteria can also be passed from person to person if proper hand washing and general hygiene are neglected.
It is suspected that the student ate all his meals on campus during the timeframe in which he contracted the infection. However, no other cases of illness were reported.
Even so, St. Norbert's Food Service department terminated its use of ground beef and spinach until local and state public health agencies were able to provide more information on the bacteria's source.
Most people suffering from an E. coli infection have severe diarrhea, in which one often sees blood and abdominal cramps about three to four days after the bacteria's introduction. However, symptoms might not appear for up to nine days after exposure, or an infected person may not ever exhibit any symptoms.
Most infected people recover within five to ten days without treatment. The use of antibiotics to treat this infection is not recommended. There is no proof that antibiotics will improve the course of the disease, and it is believed that treatment with certain antibiotics could lead to kidney problems.
Be the first to comment on this story