It was extremely painful reading an article that appeared in our local paper The Chronicle Herald this week in which E. coli was identified as a virus.
An article detailing E. coli illness in a young boy at Valley Regional Hospital earlier this week described E. coli as a virus...10 times in fact. E. coli is actually one of the many bacteria that humans carry normally in the gut.
Cattle carry a strain of E. coli in their guts that can cause gastrointestinal illness in humans - E. coli 0157 and other strains that produce toxins can be found in hamburg because the meat is ground and is easily contaminated with bacteria from the cow's gut. One of these organisms is E. coli 0157 and is the reason that this bacteria has been coined "hamburger disease".
Outbreaks of E. coli 0157 have also been associated with crops such as spinach or lettuce contaminated with run-off from fields on which cattle were pastured or irrigated with water contaminated by E. coli 0157.
E. coli 0157 can cause severe illness in young children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems.
E. coli 0157 has also been a cause of water-related outbreaks (e.g. Walkerton, Ontario).
To read more about E. coli and E. coli 0157:
E. coli and E. coli 0157: Commensals and Pathogens
Foodborne Illness: Infectious Dose and Attack Rates
Taco Bell and E. coli 0157: Gastrointestinal illnesses
Lettuce and E. coli 0157: Contaminated Lettuce Reports
Spinach and E. coli 0157 Update: Infections Reported
Update on U.S. Spinach Outbreak
E. coli 0157 Illness: Associated with Fresh Bagged Spinach
Source:
Delaney, G. Valley child treated for E. coli. The Chronicle Herald. Saturday, October 13, 2007.
