E.Coli

Escherichia coli / E.coli

The new strain of the E.coli virus is resistant to most antibiotics and is a significant threat to the public. It is typically associated with gastrointestinal infections and dehydration. The most common way of catching this virus is by eating food contaminated with animal faeces. This deadly strain could be responsible for more than 3,000 deaths per year.

People infected with E.coli are highly contagious, if an individual does not wash their hands properly after going to the bathroom the virus can be passed to other people. Generally symptoms will occur 7 days after the initial infection.

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Abdominal cramps
• Vomiting
• Bloody diarrhoea
• Severe fatigue
• Anaemia
• Uraemia

Symptoms of a rare form of E. coli infection include:

• Bruises that happen easily
• Pale skin
• Red or bloody urine
• Reduced amount of urine

Treatment

Recovery is normally around a few days for the more common types of E.coli.

These things may help you feel better if you have diarrhoea:

• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day
• Drink at least 1 cup of liquid every time you have a loose bowel movement
• Eat small meals throughout the day
• Eat some salty foods
• Eat some high potassium foods like a banana

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