Coli

Coli What is E. coli O157:H7 ' E. coli O157:H7 (or simply E. coli) is just one of the hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Most strains of E. coli are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals. E. coli, however, produces a powerful toxin that can cause a severe infection. (The combination of letters and numbers in the name of the bacterium refers to the specific markers found on its surface and distinguishes it from other types of E. coli.) An estimated 10,000 to 20,000 cases of E. coli infection occur in the United States each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes E. coli as an emerging food-borne illness. How is the E. coli infection spread ' Most E. coli illness has been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef. E. coli bacteria live in the intestines of healthy cattle and, although the number of organisms required to cause disease is not known, it is suspected to be very small. Meat becomes contaminated during slaughter, and organisms can be thoroughly mixed into beef when it is ground. Contaminated beef looks and smells normal. Other ways to transmit E. coli include: Person-to-person contact in families coli, infection, symptoms, syndrome, uremic, milk, meat, hemolytic, cause, beef, water, thoroughly, severe, occur, make, juices, include, ground, diarrhea, contaminated, children, cdc, been, bacteria, associated, years, wash, very, using, united, undercooked, swimming, sure, strains, states