E Coli

By

Joe Cheray

I decided to write my paper on Escherica Coli or E Coli for short due to the fact

that there have been several reported cases of voluntary meat recalls this year because of

E Coli contamination. I have been providing a public service on my weight loss wellness

blog informing consumers of USDA food recalls as they come across my e mail.

Needless to say that category on my blog has gotten searched the most as people are

trying to find out about food recalls more and more. This past summer I did a radio call in

show interview where I also talked about these various recalls.

So what is E coli? Believe it or not it is a necessary evil in humans as it provides

the vitamin K needed for good health. E coli is found in the large intestine and is also the

most widely studied organism in biology. Its cells have the capacity to divide every

twenty to thirty minutes thus allowing it to spread very fast.

The strain that is dangerous to humans is E Coli O157:H7. This is a leading cause

of food borne illness. In a 1999 study there were 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths

reported each year in the US.

E Coli can be spread by improper meat handling procedures in the slaughter

houses. It can also be spread by not washing ones hands after handling meat further

creating an environment for cross contamination. It can also be spread from human to

human if the infected person doesn’t practice proper hand washing while letting the

bacteria run its course in their system. Also it can be spread to non blood borne organisms
like vegetables and fruits if these are prepared on the same cutting board and with the

same knife that was used to prepare the meat for that evening’s meal.

This year so far there have been ten cases of E coli contamination reported to the

USDA. October seemed to be the peak of reporting with five cases of voluntary recalls

due to E coli. That is an average of one a week Incedenataly each one of those recalls

were ground beef recalls.

People who experience bloody stools should seek medical attention at once as this

is usually an indicator of E Coli poisoning. The CDC discourages treating the infected

person with antibiotics as most antibiotic therapies can lead to kidney complications.

They also discourage the use of antidiarrheal agents such as Imodium AD. The long term

effects of the infection include blindness, paralysis, persistent kidney failure and having a

part of th e bowel removed. In the most sever case a condition called HUS hemolytic

uremic syndrome can be a possibility leading to treatment in an intensive care unit with

blood transfusions and dialysis.

So what can be done to prevent the spread of the organism? Changes in the

production of meat while still in the slaughter house for starters.

Both the CDC and the USDA recommend the following guidelines at home to

prevent being infected with E Coli:

1. Cook all ground beef and hamburger thoroughly

2. If you are served under cooked meat while dining out send it back for

further cooking

3. Avoid spreading harmful bacteria in your kitchen

4. Drink only pasteurized milk, juice, or cider

 5. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water, especially those that will

not be cooked

6. Drink municipal water that has been treated with chlorine or another

effective disinfectant

7. Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming

8. Make sure people with diarrhea wash their hands carefully with soap and

water after bowel movements to reduce the risk of spreading infection.

In conclusion it is important to handle your food safely at home because you can’t

be 100% sure that harmful bacteria haven’t been introduced into the food you

have brought home from the store.

References:

Centers for Disease Control ( September 24, 2006)Escharichia Coli O157:H7.

Retrieved November 26, 2007 from

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidid/diseaseinfo/escheriacoli_g.htm

Intro to Biology Lab Manual: Exercise 10, pg 77 to 78

USDA (November 24, 2007) Open Federal Cases. Retrieved November 26, 2007

from http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp