E coli virus bacteria

Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea and lead to life-threatening conditions, such as a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome HUS , or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. Other infections may have no symptoms or may resolve without medical treatment within five to seven days. Due to the range in severity of illness, people should consult their health care provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms that resemble a n E.

People of any age can become infected with pathogenic E. Children under the age of 5 years, adults older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness as a result of an E. However, even healthy older children and young adults can become seriously ill. Learn more about People at Risk of Foodborne Illness. Different types of E. Finally, a focused exam should support the patient-provided history that may yield additional findings to guide patient care.

Patients presenting with intestinal and genitourinary symptoms should have a thorough abdominal exam performed, whereas patients suspected of having sepsis caused by E. Routine laboratory evaluation is not generally required in well-appearing patients with diarrheal illness as the disease is often self-limiting.

However, they may support clinical suspicion and guide treatment in patients with concerning signs or symptoms suggesting systemic illness. Obtain stool cultures in patients with prolonged diarrheal illness, in patients with systemic signs or symptoms, and those with dysentery.

They have the inherent ability to ferment lactose and produce indole, and before PCR-based assays, E. As PCR-based assays become more readily available, these strains will continue to be more frequently identified. All patients with inflammatory diarrhea acquired outside of the United States should have stool cultured for E.

While molecular diagnosis is not required in mild illness, specific pathogens can be identified via PCR-based assays. For patients with extraintestinal illness, culturing blood, urine, or sputum will identify E. Many gram-negative bacilli have developed antibiotic resistance genes, and E. In contrast, carbapenemase-producing E. Treatment is dependent on the strain, as well as the illness. Care of the patient with an intestinal disease caused by E. Experts recommend rehydration and antidiarrheals as the mainstays of treatment for mild disease.

Oral rehydration is recommended first-line therapy for all patients with diarrheal illness when tolerated and is equally efficacious as compared to intravenous hydration IV. IV hydration is recommended when patients cannot tolerate oral intake. Distressing symptoms are treated with antimotility agents such as bismuth-subsalicylate and loperamide. Antibiotics are not recommended as first-line treatment for diarrheal illness caused by E.

For patients with severe disease e. Hospitalization reduces the risk of community spread and allows for aggressive therapy and close monitoring. It is also essential to avoid other medications that could worsen renal function, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs. These patients experience ongoing hemolysis and should not receive blood transfusions early in illness unless they are hemodynamically unstable.

Platelet transfusion should also be avoided unless severe thrombocytopenia or bleeding due to the increased risk of thrombosis associated with HUS. Antimicrobial therapy directed against E. Choosing between oral and intravenous formulations is disease-specific and should be guided by clinical presentation. In general, extraintestinal infections caused by E.

Intestinal illness can be caused by a variety of organisms. Watery diarrheal illness is most commonly caused by viruses, including norovirus and rotavirus, but can also be caused by bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus cereus , and Vibrio cholerae , among others.

Extraintestinal infections previously discussed can be caused by a variety of viruses and bacteria and are dependent on the specific illness. Most diarrheal illnesses have a favorable prognosis, and those caused by E. The prognosis of patients who develop extraintestinal infections caused by E.

However, patients with extraintestinal infections caused by E. For example, E. Patients who develop diarrheal illness are at an increased risk for dehydration, but this can often be prevented through adequate hydration and early symptomatic intervention. Long-term complications include chronic diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome, but these occur in a small number of patients. As previously mentioned, approximately five percent will develop end-stage renal disease or stroke, and another 20 to 30 percent will develop sequelae, including hypertension, proteinuria, and subclinical decline in glomerular filtration rate GFR.

Complications associated with extraintestinal E. Illnesses caused by E. When traveling to areas with inadequate sanitation practices, such as in many developing regions, illness can be avoided through consuming purified water and thoroughly cooking food or by rinsing raw fruits and vegetables in purified water.

When infection cannot be avoided, or patients are at high risk for complications of diarrheal illness e. The ISTM recommends travelers at risk for contracting diarrheal illnesses who require antibiotic prophylaxis should take rifaximin or bismuth-subsalicylate for chemoprophylaxis.

Reducing the risk of extraintestinal infections is disease-specific but includes interventions such as reducing the use of indwelling medical devices to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Diarrheal illness caused by E. However, an interprofessional team composed of the primary clinicians, infectious disease specialists, pharmacy, and the laboratory team can rapidly identify the etiology of illness and guide effective therapy in patients hospitalized with severe illness.

Nurses are integral team members whose frequent assessments can quickly identify a change in clinical status. Nurses can also enhance communication between patients and the healthcare team, which leads to a better understanding, increased satisfaction, and better compliance with outpatient therapies.

These clinicians can also take time with patients to discuss how to avoid contracting an illness while traveling. This book is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.

Turn recording back on. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. StatPearls [Internet]. Search term. Affiliations 1 University of California San Diego. Continuing Education Activity Escherichia coli E. Introduction Escherichia coli E. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Takhar SS, et al. Diagnosis and management of urinary tract infection in the emergency department and outpatient settings. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America.

Overactive bladder OAB : Lifestyle changes. Urology Care Foundation. Accessed July 3, Warner KJ. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Hooper DC. Accessed Aug. FDA drug safety communication: FDA updates warnings for oral and injectable fluoroquinole antibiotics due to disabling side effects.

Natural Medicines. Accessed Oct. Urinary tract infection adult. Mayo Clinic; Back pain or side flank pain High fever Shaking and chills Nausea Vomiting. Contents 1 Is E coli contagious sexually? Prev Does the number 9 mean anything in Japan? Next How do you get rid of a cluster headache fast? Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.