E. Coli?

E. Coli’s official name is actually Escherichia Coli. E. Coli is a type of bacteria that infects the intestinal systems of humans. More than 700 different strand of E. Coli have been identified. The E. Coli strands that are responsible for the numerous reports of outbreaks are the strands know as Stx. It’s known as Stx because it carries the Shiga toxin, commonly found in the bacteria Shigella Dystenteria. The best-known and most notorious Stx-producing E. Coli is E. Coli 0157:H7. Even though there are mean and nasty types of E. Coli such as the one stated above, not all strands of E. Coli are harmful. Some are actually beneficial. There are strands that are infectious but require so much of it that no ever gets infected from it. Then there are the strands that actually help you digestive tract. There are actually strands of E. Coli that us humans couldn’t live without. Just like you can’t live without B-6 vitamins, you can’t live without E. Coli in your intestines.

Shiga toxin is one of the most potent toxins known to man, so much so that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list it as a potential bioterrorist threat. It seems likely that DNA from Shiga toxin-producing Shigella bacteria was transferred by a bacteriophage (a virus that infects bacteria) to otherwise harmless E. coli bacteria, giving the power to make Shiga toxin.

Although E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for the majority of human illnesses attributed to E. coli, there are additional Stx-producing E. that can also cause hemorrhagic colitis and terrible stomach pains. HUS is a syndrome that is sdefined by the hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells), thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), and acute kidney failure.

E. Coli isn’t actually deadly, but it is painful and has the potential to last for weeks. More than 900,000 cases of E. Coli are reported every year in the United States alone. Imagine all of the places in the world where their food is no where near as clean as our food. It can be terrible to have and in places where they don’t have proper medical attention, people can die of these infections. A way to avoid E. Coli: CLEAN YOU FOOD BEFORE YOU EAT IT!!! So many people just pick up a fruit or veggie and just stick in their mouth, and I’m like what? There are people in the world that handle the food you eat because it’s their job. There are people that handle food and don’t wash their hands after they use they bathroom or fix their hair. There are people that will drop the food they are handling and instead of washing it off, they just put it back in the basket and ship it off to some store for some poor sap to eat it without washing it, and then contracting E. Coli. It’s a long, but unfortunately, real chain.