Why is E. coli so Dangerous?

People in the so-called “developed” countries have a hard time avoiding the term E. coli because this type of bacteria has been written about in newspapers, talked about on television and blogged about on the World Wide Web. People in less-fortunate circumstances have more direct contact with this dangerous form of bacteria.

Individuals have eaten contaminated food and some have become very ill. Some people have died after ingesting E. coli with their food.
The latest “outbreak” came just four years ago, when consumers in the United States ate from certain shipments of raw spinach. This was only the latest incident in a series that continues to impress the dangers of Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Why is this particular strain of bacteria so dangerous? There are actually a few distinct types of E. coli, some of which naturally occur in the digestive systems of animals. These benign bacteria help animals digest food by breaking it down to sugars or proteins the body can process further. But E. coli O157:H7 is a different story altogether. This specific strain is, at its worst, life threatening.

One of the problems with E. coli O157:H7 is that people experience early symptoms that are much like indigestion, nausea and cramps from other causes. But as the E. coli problem continues, the body loses fluids at an alarming rate, primarily due to extreme nausea and diarrhea. This particular type of bacteria is dangerous to children, older people and those whose immune systems are weakened by other causes.

As E. coli symptoms progress the health effects extend beyond diarrhea and extreme fluid loss. The bacteria attack the kidneys and other internal organs, sometimes causing dangerous weakness in the tissue of the intestines and kidneys. Kidney failure and internal bleeding can result in death.

As if these problems weren’t enough to be concerned about, E. coli O157:H7 effects can’t be stopped by the usual retail medicines. People who suffer from E. coli infection might try to stop their diarrhea with over-the-counter treatment, but this may make matters worse because the medicine kills the helpful bacteria too. In many cases serious symptoms might last for 10 days to two weeks.

Scientists believe that over a long period of time a helpful strain of E. coli was infected or mutated into the harmful version. E. coli is found almost everywhere in our world. Everyday activities such as eating, drinking or just touching something can bring various strains into our bodies, good and bad. It may not be possible to completely prevent E. coli problems completely. If we are educated consumers and watch for news and signs of outbreaks we can avoid most of the trouble. Proper cooking and cleaning methods will also go a long way toward keeping this dangerous bacterium from making us ill. It’s not possible to protect ourselves from all E. coli bacteria because they but we can make an effort to prevent the harmful variety from attacking our bodies.