E.coli Infection

Question: Has any one ever heard of or had a vaginal e-coli infection? I have been going through what i thought and was diagnosed with yeast infections and bacterial infections for about 8 months now. After suffering I finally had a doctor who would actually give me a vaginal culture and they found 4+ e-coli. She gave me antibiotics for it and it still remains. Has anyone ever heard of this before? If so do you have any advice in hopes get rid of it? I have also been tested for everything so that's all ruled out thank god.

Answer: E coli is normal bacteria in your bowel. That said, it is easy for the bacteria to travel to different areas down there. Make sure you are wiping front to back, and doing a thorough job. It could also be caused by a fistula, which is a small hole between the anus, in this case, and the vagina. It may take more than just oral antibiotics to get rid of it. If its still there after the antibiotics are gone, call the doctor back.

Question: i am doing an experiment and i need to know how to create a simulated infection with e. coli, how can i do it? well I am trying to do an experiment, and i need to monitor e. coli infection, but i don't know what I can test it on, like what can I introduce to the e.coli to monitor their infection. I also need somethin where they can infect it, but the ability to add a controlled substance to it also (vitamin e) where it will not alter the substance they are infecting.

Answer: Depending on what type of infection you're modelling (ie what type of E. coli) you could probably find a cell-culture model that would be viable. However, that will most-likely require a CO2 incubator. I would look up on pubmed the type of infection you're looking at, and see what other researchers have published for their model systems.

Question: What is the most common factor for E coli infection in india?

Answer: the prevalance of E coli sources of course

Question: Is E-coli infection rare?, How is it harmful to humans?

Answer: Well its rare in a very clean kitchen. E-coli can kill. It causes a massive storm on the body. Symptoms including shaking, temperature, dehydration, vommiting and diahrrea. It is particularly violent on the bodies of the young, elderly and pregnant. It is most commonly found on uncooked meats in particular, chicken and also on the shells of chicken eggs. It is also found in faeces and is carried by flies and by dirty hands. Wash your hands and wipe your surfaces! x

Question: What causes an e coli infection in ones urinary track?

Answer: Always wipe from to back. Be care full when using a toilet in a dirty place, squat over it, and do not let the water splash you when the toilet flushes, these automatic toilets are the worst.

Question: How to get rid of an E Coli Infection??? I'm pregnant and the dr gave me Microbid to clear up a EColi Infection in my Urinary Tract. After a week, it still had not cleared up. The dr is sending my urine off to do a culture. Someone said that the only way to get this out of my tract is to do a catheter. Has anyone ever had this, does it ever go away? Is there anything I can do on my own to get rid of it? Please help!

Answer: An E-coli infection in your urinary tract is just the fancy name for a UTI. E-coli is the cause of almost every UTI b/c it is normally found in your intestines and anus and women only have a short urinary tract so it is easy for the bacteria to find it's way up. Catheterization does not make sense to me and I have never heard of this being done. The most common problem w/ a cath is introduction of infection, so I don't see how it could clear an infection up. To help get rid of it/manage it before the cultures come back, flush your system. Drink lots of cranberry juice and find out if AZO Cranberry pills (sold in your pharmacy) are safe in pregnancy. Drink water when you can't drink the juice. Urinate frequently, wipe front to back and make sure you urinate as soon as you are done any sexual relations.

Question: Can my gran still drink cranberry juice when taking antibiotics for treating an e coli urine infection? She is worried it will muck up the effect of the antibiotics

Answer: Actually, it is recommended to drink cranberry juice with antibiotics. It was clinically shown that cranberry juice can reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause UTI, like e coli.

Question: What would it feel like to have an e-coli infection?

Answer: Symptoms start about 7 days after you are infected with the germ. The first sign is severe abdominal cramps that start suddenly. After a few hours, watery diarrhea starts. The diarrhea causes your body to lose fluids and electrolytes (dehydration). This makes you feel sick and tired. The watery diarrhea lasts for about a day. Then the diarrhea changes to bright red bloody stools. The infection makes sores in your intestines, so the stools become bloody. Bloody diarrhea lasts for 2 to 5 days. You might have 10 or more bowel movements a day. Some people say their stools are "all blood and no stool." Some have a mild fever or no fever. Also some people experience nausea or vomiting, along with the above symptoms.

Question: Pls help! D doc sed i had E-coli infection, any idea wot it means?? i got treated for E-coli infection last year but i still itch sometimes with whitish discharge. i also had a miscarrige early dis year, could it be because of the infection? Any ideas on what drugs to take to stop the itching N discharge?

Answer: Is this vaginal discharge you are referring to? Either way, you need to go to the doctor and have it checked out. There are a number of things that can cause discharge. When you get an E Coli infection it means that the E-Coli that normally live in your gut have gotten somewhere they aren't supposed to be. This can be skin or it can be vaginal if you had an issue with wiping incorrectly after using the toilet. OR you have eaten something with a form of E-Coli on it that doesn't belong in your gut (like e-coli 0157) and you then end up with a range of symptoms that comes from gastroenteritis (although this form of e-coli can have worse side effects, renal issues [kidney], but usually only for people with poor immune systems like small kids and much older adults). It's been months since last year and my guess would be that you have another infection. It could be a lot of things. The only way to be sure is to go to your doctor and get checked out. It's really important to take care of your reproductive health, as leaving such things alone can cause serious problems sometimes. Hope that helps.

Question: How can a vegetarian get e-coli bacterial infection?

Answer: Most E. coli infections in the US happen by contact with a person or object that contacted feces or fecal matter. E. coli flourishes in the intestinal tract beginning with your intestines and down into the rectum.

Question: does anyone know the antibiotic used for the E. coli infection on Locust Grove? I heard that the E. coli infection was resistant to normal E. Coli antibiotics...does anyone know what was used for it?

Answer: You should NOT take antibiotics for E. coli infection, particularly if it's E. coli O157:H7 (the strain you always hear about making trouble in the news). If you take antibiotics with this strain of E. coli, the E. coli die, and they dissolve into a toxic mass that destroys your kidneys (causes hemolytic uremic syndrome) this can result in kidney failure and DEATH. E. coli infections, though unpleasant, will eventually end. You have to keep the patient hydrated and make sure they don't get worse, but other than that, it's better than wrecking your kidneys by adding the wrong meds. So if your local doctors were giving antibiotics during a known pathogenic E. coli outbreak, then they deserve to be smacked silly.

Question: how bad is a e-coli infection after sigmoid colon removal surgery ? my husband went in for sigmoid removal do to diverticulise, and has been in the hospital for seven days now and now has an e-coli infection in the wound....i am just wondering if this okay or should i be really worried??

Answer: This may be more then you want to know!! Escherichia coli O157:H7 Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a leading cause of foodborne illness. Based on a 1999 estimate, 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year. In the ten CDC Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) sites (which represent 15% of the US population), there was a 29% decline in E. coli O157:H7 infection since 1996-98 (see FoodNet Reports). Infection with E. coli often leads to bloody diarrhea, and occasionally to kidney failure. People can become infected with E.coli O157:H7 in a variety of ways. Though most illness has been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef, people have also become ill from eating contaminated bean sprouts or fresh leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach. Person-to-person contact in families and child care centers is also a known mode of transmission. In addition, infection can occur after drinking raw milk and after swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water. Consumers can prevent E. coli O157:H7 infection by thoroughly cooking ground beef, avoiding unpasteurized milk, and by washing hands carefully before preparing or eating food. Fruits and vegetables should be washed well, but washing may not remove all contamination. Public service announcements on television, radio, or in the newspapers will advise you which foods to avoid in the event of an outbreak. Because the organism lives in the intestines of healthy cattle, preventive measures on cattle farms, during meat processing, and during the growth, harvest and processing of produce are being investigated. --------------------------------------… What is Escherichia coli O157:H7? E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless, this strain produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness. E. coli O157:H7 has been found in the intestines of healthy cattle, deer, goats, and sheep. E. coli O157:H7 was first recognized as a cause of illness in 1982 during an outbreak of severe bloody diarrhea; the outbreak was traced to contaminated hamburgers. Since then, more infections in the United States have been caused by eating undercooked ground beef than by any other food. The combination of letters and numbers in the name of the bacterium refers to the specific markers found on its surface and distinguishes it from other types of E. coli. Back to Top How is E. coli O157:H7 spread? The organism can be found on most cattle farms, and it is commonly found in petting zoos and can live in the intestines of healthy cattle, deer, goats, and sheep. Meat can become contaminated during slaughter, and organisms can be accidentally mixed into meat when it is ground. Bacteria present on the cow's udders or on equipment may get into raw milk. In a petting zoo, E.coli O157:H7 can contaminate the ground, railings, feed bins, and fur of the animals. Eating meat, especially ground beef, that has not been cooked sufficiently to kill E. coli O157:H7 can cause infection. Contaminated meat looks and smells normal. The number of organisms required to cause disease is very small. Among other known sources of infection are consumption of sprouts, lettuce, spinach, salami, unpasteurized milk and juice, and by swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water. Bacteria in loose stool of infected persons can be passed from one person to another if hygiene or hand washing habits are inadequate. This is particularly likely among toddlers who are not toilet trained. Family members and playmates of these children are at high risk of becoming infected. Young children typically shed the organism in their feces for a week or two after their illness resolves. Older children and adults rarely carry the organism without symptoms. Back to Top What illness does E. coli O157:H7 cause? People generally become ill from E. coli O157:H7 two to eight days (average of 3-4) after being exposed to the bacteria. Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection often causes severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Sometimes the infection causes non-bloody diarrhea or no symptoms. Usually little or no fever is present, and the illness resolves in 5 to 10 days. In some persons, particularly children under 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can also cause a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. About 8% of persons whose diarrheal illness is severe enough that they seek medical care develop this complication. In the United States, HUS is the principal cause of acute kidney failure in children, and most cases of HUS are caused by E. coli O157:H7. Back to Top How is E. coli O157:H7 infection diagnosed? Infection with E. coli O157:H7 is diagnosed by detecting the bacterium in the stool. About one-third of laboratories that culture stool still do not test for E. coli O157:H7, so it is important to request that the stool specimen be tested on sorbitol-MacConkey (SMAC) agar for this organism. All persons who suddenly have diarrhea with blood should get their stool tested for E. coli O157:H7. Back to Top How is the illness treated? Most people recover without antibiotics or other specific treatment 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 (Imodium®), should also be avoided. In some people, E. coli O157:H7 infection can cause a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that is usually treated in an intensive care unit. Blood transfusions and kidney dialysis are often required. With intensive care, the death rate for hemolytic uremic syndrome is 3%-5%. Back to Top What are the long-term consequences of infection? Persons who only have diarrhea usually recover completely. A small proportion of persons with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) have immediate complications with lifelong implications, such as blindness, paralysis, persistent kidney failure, and the effects of having part of their bowel removed. Many persons with hemolytic uremic syndrome have mild abnormalities in kidney function many years later. Back to Top What can be done to prevent the infection? Cattle are the principal source of E. coli O157 infection; they carry E. coli O157 in their intestines. Changes in the preparation of animals for slaughter and in slaughter and processing methods could decrease the contamination of carcasses with E. coli O157 and the subsequent contamination of meat. Testing ground beef for E. coli O157 and withholding it from the market until the test is negative, as many meat producers began doing in 2002, is probably partly responsible for the subsequent decrease in illnesses. Cattle manure is an important source of E. coli O157. Manure can contaminate the environment, including streams that flow through produce fields and are used for irrigation, pesticide application, or washing. Collaborative efforts are needed to decrease environmental contamination and improve the safety of produce. Back to Top What can you do to prevent E. coli O157:H7 infection? Cook all ground beef and hamburger thoroughly. Because ground beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed, use a digital instant-read meat thermometer to ensure thorough cooking. Ground beef should be cooked until a thermometer inserted into several parts of the patty, including the thickest part, reads at least 160º F. Persons who cook ground beef without using a thermometer can decrease their risk of illness by not eating ground beef patties that are still pink in the middle. If you are served an undercooked hamburger or other ground beef product in a restaurant, send it back for further cooking. You may want to ask for a new bun and a clean plate, too. Avoid spreading harmful bacteria in your kitchen. Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands, counters, and utensils with hot soapy water after they touch raw meat. Never place cooked hamburgers or ground beef on the unwashed plate that held raw patties. Wash meat thermometers in between tests of patties that require further cooking. Drink only pasteurized milk, juice, or cider. Commercial juice with an extended shelf-life that is sold at room temperature (e.g. juice in cardboard boxes, vacuum sealed juice in glass containers) has been pasteurized, although this is generally not indicated on the label. Juice concentrates are also heated sufficiently to kill pathogens. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water, especially those that will not be cooked. Be aware that bacteria are sticky, so even thorough washing may not remove all contamination. Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables. Children under 5 years of age, immunocompromised persons, and the elderly should avoid eating alfalfa sprouts until their safety can be assured. Persons at high risk of complications from foodborne illness may choose to consume cooked vegetables and peeled fruits. Drink municipal water that has been treated with chlorine or another effective disinfectant. Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming. (For more information, see the CDC Healthy Swimming website.) Make sure that persons with diarrhea, especially children, wash their hands carefully with soap after bowel movements to reduce the risk of spreading infection, and that persons wash hands after changing soiled diapers. Anyone with a diarrheal illness should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths with others, and preparing food for others.

Question: what are symptoms of e.coli infections of the blood and does cipro clear up the blood infection?

Answer: 1) fever 2) chills 3) possibly nausea 4) fatigue 5) coma While cipro does hit e. coli, I'm not sure it would be the first line drug.

Question: e-coli infection - alternative treatments? my sister in law has been infected with e-coli in December 2007 and has been fighting the infection for the last 6 months. The medical people have done all this stuff and she still is having trouble and getting progressively worse. I'm concerned about whether she will live or not. What kinds of alternative treatments might there be?

Answer: As the previous guy said, rife machines work very well. However, it's often quite difficult to get ahold of a properly built one (in which case they don't do all that much). The best thing I know of for her would be oxygen therapies. If you can find a doctor who does intravenous ozone or hydrogen peroxide injections, that's by far your best. If that is not doable, I would advise buying some food grade (35%) hydrogen peroxide online, and drink a few drops of it mixed into a glass of water daily. The exact amount varies person to person, but generally people start of with 3, and raise it by a drop every few days until their body feels like it's at the limit. (I previously recommended 10 as the safe cap, but I've recently come across people who went up to 22 with positive and no negative results, so I'm not sure exactly where you stop beyond what the body says is alright...although 25 is definitely the absolute cap). I've seen drinking h2o2 produce immensely benefical results for people, especially with chronic bacterial/fungal/viral conditions. If you do this, make sure it's drunk away from meals and the 35% is NEVER EVER drank undiluted (or touched for the matter). Hope that helps, feel free to ask me any more question. I have a lot of first hand experience with this method so I know it works, and it's really cheap and harmless so you have nothinng to lose by trying it.

Question: e coli- child´s .infection- help!? My cousin has got an e coli infection. He has been using our toilet and cutlery all the time. at are the chances we contracted it? I´m really worried as we have got children. Thank you!!!

Answer: As a previous poster pointed out, what strain of E. coli does your cousin have. If E. coli O157:H7, then I would be worried. If just run of the mill E. coli that is causing diarrhea, then I would be less worried. However, I would not let him touch anything in your kitchen, especially cutlery, if he is not using proper hygeine after using the bathroom. He can easily transmitt the E. coli to everyone in the house.

Question: e.coli- infection: unpasteurized apple cider? can eating SALAD guarantee safety for anyone when news about the E.coli O157:h7 has been spread and the source of the infection is unpasturized apple cider????????

Answer: Cider has been known to pass E.coli. It is difficult when E.coli is found in feces of animals and humans and animal manure is used for fertilization of gardens. It is a natural and good fertilizer. E. coli is natural in feces. It is used as a test bacteria to see if there is sewage contamination of water. It is only the one special species that is harmful. So now any fruit or vegetable that is eaten raw, not washed is a potential carrier?