E,coli outbreak

[roxy44]

Hi
just wondering if your all sticking with your salads etc, or scared of this new outbreak

roxy xx

 

[))Denise((]

My daughter had this at 3 years old, 21 years ago. It was a bit scary at the time, but she is fine now.

There are lots of things that cause this including petting farm animals at tourist attractions (and not washing your hands properly afterwards) and undercooked meat (burgers etc). I'd not heard of it coming from salad before. I believe my daughter got it from unwashed grapes. The other children who were infected at the same time that we met in the hospital all had in common were that they were very picky eaters.

I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't try and keep yourself away from dirt and germs and trying to be too clean makes you more likely to pick up these sort of things. I don't believe that this is a new strain either as my daughter had the same symptoms of haemolitic uremic syndrome.

 

[hallii]

The report I watched was saying that this is new form pf E.coli, a combination of two or more other strains that has given it some nasty effects, not least a resistance to many anti-biotics.

I still eat all the usual salads but wash things very well, I am not sure if the bug is on the outside or is capable of getting inside the salads, I hope on the outside.

H

 

[bowell]

E. coli: Are the bacteria friend or foe?

E. coli is used as a micro-factory: given the right instructions, it can be modified to rapidly produce hundreds of genes or specific proteins. It is the ideal workhorse: it is easy to grow, does not require much energy, or demand sophisticated living conditions.

Even more crucial to scientists, it can be modified easily and replicates rapidly.

One of the first successes the bacterium holds to its name is the production of human insulin.

In the 1970s, scientists inserted the genes responsible for coding human insulin into the bacteria and were able to produce vast quantities of the hormone to treat diabetes.

Reff:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13639241

 

[))Denise((]

You don't get given antibiotics for e-coli poisoning. The treatment is peritoneal kidney dialysis when your blood starts breaking down with haemolytic uraemic syndrome which seems to be what the people in Germany have got.

This is a good interview about it http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/ne ... 503595.stm

I don't have any problem eating salad in this country. The salad that went to Germany was probably contaminated with cow poo - the main source of this infection.

 

[frenchkittie]

I grow my own salad and tomatoes, so no problem.

I'm about to stick myself with 6mg of a drug to stimulate white blood cell production. Reading the small print I see that it too is cultured from E.coli.

I'll risk it

 

[bowell]

Get your old copper pans out

Copper shown to kill E. coli bacteria

The study showed 10 million E. coli bacteria can be eliminated within 10 minutes on a dry copper surface. Even on a wet copper surface, a total kill can be expected within around 45 minutes, the researchers said.

Ref:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/uos-sfc060211.php

 

[hallii]

The use of some antibiotics including fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides is not advised due to the increased production of toxins that the bacteria produce.

Carbapenem may be used in patients showing neurological complications and secondary infections and
targeted reduction of intestinal bacteria with the antibiotic rifaximin is recommended in exceptional cases of E.coli persistence.

Around 90% of all UTI infections are caused by E.coli, (not of this new strain yet) and there is widespread resitance to most antibiotics. The spread of this new antibiotic resistant strain, or the passing of genetic material between those strains that cause UTIs and the new strain does not bear thinking about.

H

 

[catherinecherub]

Have you got a reference for this?

 

[roxy44]

so................ :lol: are you all still eating salads?

 

[hallii]

A little light reading here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escherichia_coli

and here http://adam.about.net/reports/000036_7.htm

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/723457_6

"The German Association of Infection Biology (DGI) released a statement on the use of antibiotics this morning. It states that the use of certain antibiotics associated with enhanced toxin secretion (including fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides) are still not recommended for EHEC infections. But it advises that the antibiotic carbapenem may be used in patients showing neurological complications and secondary infections…The DGI statement also states that targeted reduction of intestinal bacteria with the antibiotic rifaximin is recommended in exceptional cases of EHEC persistence.

The effectiveness of this strategy of course depends on the strain's susceptibility to carbapenems – a powerful class of antibiotics. It’s also worth mentioning here that although E. coli is most commonly known as a cause of food-borne illness, it is also the cause of 90% of urinary tract infections (UTIs). For UTIs, antibiotics are standard treatment and antibiotic resistance is a serious and growing problem. ResistanceMap shows the trends in E. coli resistance to first-line antibiotic treatments in the United States, but the issue prevails worldwide." (From http://www.cddep.org/blog/posts/new_e_c ... _treatment)



H

 

[catherinecherub]

According to the latest news, bean sprouts are the likely cause.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13662431

 

[noblehead]

Wash all salads and fruit thoroughly before eating to minimize the risks, with cucumber I always remove the outside rind after discovering it was the cause of my indigestion.

Nigel

 

[roxy44]

thank you nigel

 

[viviennem]

I've never stopped eating salad. If I want beansprouts (not often) I sprout my own.

Viv 8)