E. Coli 0157:H7
Medical Author: Dennis Lee, MD
Medical Editor: Jay W. Marks, MD
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E. coli Infections: the Facts
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor:
Barbara
K. Hecht, PhD
 Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short, is a very common bacterium. There are hundreds of different strains of
E. coli. Some are harmless while others cause serious illness. Non-pathogenic strains of
E. coli -- those that do not cause disease -- are normal inhabitants of the intestinal tract in humans and animals. But certain strains of
E. coli can cause severe diarrhea and infect the genital and urinary tracts.
The most notorious type of pathogenic E. coli is known as E. coli
0157:H7. The name refers to the chemical compounds found on the surface of the bacterium. This strain was identified in 1982 following an outbreak of diarrhea resulting from the eating of undercooked beef. Outbreaks of
E. coli 0157:H7-induced illness have been common in recent years.
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What is E. coli?
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium that commonly lives in the intestines of people and animals. There are many strains (types) of E. coli. Most of the E. coli are normal inhabitants of the small intestine and colon and are non-pathogenic, meaning they do not cause disease in the intestines. Nevertheless, these non-pathogenic E. coli can cause disease if they spread outside of the intestines, for example, into the urinary tract (where they cause
bladder or
kidney infections) or into the blood stream (sepsis).
Some strains of E. coli are pathogenic, meaning they can cause disease in the small intestine and colon. These pathogenic strains of E. coli may cause
diarrhea by producing and releasing toxins (called enterotoxigenic E. coli or ETEC) that cause the intestine to secrete fluid or by invading and inflaming the lining of the small intestine and the colon (called enteropathogenic E. coli or EPEC). A third strain of E. coli has a tendency to cause inflammation of the colon and bloody diarrhea (called enterohemorrhagic E. coli or EHEC).
What is E. coli 0157:H7?
E coli O157:H7 is a strain of EHEC. It causes colitis and bloody diarrhea by producing a toxin called Shiga toxin, which damages the intestines.
E. coli 0157:H7 is a major health problem. It is estimated to cause infection in more than 70,000 patients a year in the United States. It has been reported to cause both large outbreaks as well as isolated sporadic infections in small numbers of individuals. This diarrheal illness was first recognized when the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) isolated E. coli O157:H7 from patients in two separate outbreaks in Oregon and Michigan. The illness was associated with eating hamburgers at the restaurants of one national chain. Thus, hemorrhagic colitis due to E, coli 0157:H7 is commonly referred to as hamburger disease.
Next: What are the complications of infection with E. coli 0157:H7? »
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