E. coli

[Sark79]

I was on the phone to my Uncle earlier.  He told me my Auntie has E. coli. She has been feeling unwell for just under a week now since coming back from Morroco on holiday.  She had a blood test taken yesterday and she found out today she has a strain of E. coli.

She is still at home as she is feeling slightly better.  My Uncle said there have been health inspectors and various other white coat people coming to the door all day and taking samples. It is difficult to determine when she was infected because it apparently takes up to two weeks for the infection to become serious.

I have only had mild food poisoning once before after I ate a tomato pancake while in Malta. It tasted ok at the time but looking back on it a few days later, I wasn't sure if the guy was actually a food seller or a tourist out to make some cash. I was slightly drunk at the time.

She is allowed visitors. I am not an expert on infectious diseases, but it looks like E. coli is passed on by touch ( and obviously germs on food ) rather than by breathing on someone else.  But I may be wrong there.   I am going to go and visit her tomorrow, I have a boiler suit I used to wear to my previous job, so I will put that on with a pair of rubber kitchen gloves. I am not sure about the cycling mask at this point, that may be taking things too far. She would probably see me at the door and think I was there to rob the joint. The last thing I would want is E. coli. My Uncle is feeling fine and he has eaten the same things. I read on the internet it can effect some people and not others regardless of age, sex and health. He must be a lucky person.

Has anyone had a similar thing happen to them or know of anyone else?    I am going to have to go on wikipedia later and learn abit more about it.

[Poppet7]

I was on the phone to my Uncle earlier.  He told me my Auntie has E. coli. She has been feeling unwell for just under a week now since coming back from Morroco on holiday.  She had a blood test taken yesterday and she found out today she has a strain of E. coli.

She is still at home as she is feeling slightly better.  My Uncle said there have been health inspectors and various other white coat people coming to the door all day and taking samples. It is difficult to determine when she was infected because it apparently takes up to two weeks for the infection to become serious.

I have only had mild food poisoning once before after I ate a tomato pancake while in Malta. It tasted ok at the time but looking back on it a few days later, I wasn't sure if the guy was actually a food seller or a tourist out to make some cash. I was slightly drunk at the time.

She is allowed visitors. I am not an expert on infectious diseases, but it looks like E. coli is passed on by touch ( and obviously germs on food ) rather than by breathing on someone else.  But I may be wrong there.   I am going to go and visit her tomorrow, I have a boiler suit I used to wear to my previous job, so I will put that on with a pair of rubber kitchen gloves. I am not sure about the cycling mask at this point, that may be taking things too far. She would probably see me at the door and think I was there to rob the joint. The last thing I would want is E. coli. My Uncle is feeling fine and he has eaten the same things. I read on the internet it can effect some people and not others regardless of age, sex and health. He must be a lucky person.

Has anyone had a similar thing happen to them or know of anyone else?    I am going to have to go on wikipedia later and learn abit more about it.

Hope she gets better soon Sark

Be sure to post a picture of you in your boiler suit and rubber gloves!

[Nem]

I hope your Auntie gets well soon

[TightEnd]

Get well soon Auntie Sark.

[Heid]

Sark, why don't you just not touch her?

Take her some flowers and wish her well from all of us

[bundle]

Best wishes to Auntie.

[Sark79]

Sark, why don't you just not touch her?

Take her some flowers and wish her well from all of us

I am not totally clued up on these sort of things. But I saw a article online earlier, in it there was abit about health inspectors wearing protective suits. I am not sure if this was the same type of E. coli as there are alot of different types.  All the people who came to her house today had suits on.   They must have been wearing the suits for a reason. She has been given the all clear for visitors though.

[Josh]

That's nice of them...they wear suits to be on the safe side, but bugger the visitors they'll be alright.

[Tonji]

all the best to your aunt sark, i don't think you'll need your boiler suit

[Nakor]

Get well soon Auntie Sark.

I think your precautions might be 'slightly' on the high side.

What is E. coli?

Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short, is a very common bacterium. There are hundreds of different strains of E. coli. Some are harmless while others cause serious illness.

Non-pathogenic strains of E. coli -- those that do not cause disease -- are normal inhabitants of the intestinal tract in humans and animals. But certain strains of E. coli can cause severe diarrhea and infect the genital and urinary tracts.

What are E. coli symptoms?

The symptoms of E. coli include:

    * Watery or bloody diarrhea,
    * abdominal cramps, with or without fever

How is E. coli spread?

E. coli from the stool of infected persons can be spread by contact with, or drinking sewage-contaminated drinking water. This is now the concern in the flooded areas of New Orleans. It can also be spread to others if hygiene is inadequate. Another source of infection is from contaminated food, for example, from eating contaminated meat from animals infected with pathogenic E. coli.

How is E. coli diagnosed?

The diagnosis of E. coli infection is done by testing the stool for the presence of the bacteria.

How is E. coli treated?

Most infected people recover without specific treatment in 5 to 10 days. Antibiotics have not been shown to improve the course of the disease, and experts advise against taking antidiarrheal medications such as Imodium (loperamide)

Be safe Sark

[Sark79]

all the best to your aunt sark, i don't think you'll need your boiler suit

I know. I was joking  .   

To be honest, I do have a slight phobia of germs. It isn't as bad as  Howard Hughes had  , but I do tend to wash things alot. I know I wont need my boiler suit, gloves and mask. But I will probably go home and have a long shower.

Thanks for the kind wishes everyone

[Sark79]

Get well soon Auntie Sark.

I think your precautions might be 'slightly' on the high side.

What is E. coli?

Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short, is a very common bacterium. There are hundreds of different strains of E. coli. Some are harmless while others cause serious illness.

Non-pathogenic strains of E. coli -- those that do not cause disease -- are normal inhabitants of the intestinal tract in humans and animals. But certain strains of E. coli can cause severe diarrhea and infect the genital and urinary tracts.

What are E. coli symptoms?

The symptoms of E. coli include:

    * Watery or bloody diarrhea,
    * abdominal cramps, with or without fever

How is E. coli spread?

E. coli from the stool of infected persons can be spread by contact with, or drinking sewage-contaminated drinking water. This is now the concern in the flooded areas of New Orleans. It can also be spread to others if hygiene is inadequate. Another source of infection is from contaminated food, for example, from eating contaminated meat from animals infected with pathogenic E. coli.

How is E. coli diagnosed?

The diagnosis of E. coli infection is done by testing the stool for the presence of the bacteria.

How is E. coli treated?

Most infected people recover without specific treatment in 5 to 10 days. Antibiotics have not been shown to improve the course of the disease, and experts advise against taking antidiarrheal medications such as Imodium (loperamide)

Be safe Sark

thanks for this excellent post. I really appreciate it   

[ifm]

I had a pal that developed a very serious case of food poisoning, health inspectors went to his house and stripped every bit of food from it, i mean everything!!
They also searched his car and where he worked, it was actually touch and go for a while but he managed to pull through ok.
They did discover the source of the food poisoning but i don't think you good folks would want to hear it

p.s. I once knew a chap who was nuts about cleanliness, to the degree that he put newspapers on every surface of his bedroom and changed them daily, he also had several other "oddities" too numerous to mention.
He ended up battering his Dad with a hammer and burying him under a pile of scrap in a tat yard (it was later proven his Dad was alive at the time), just some food for thought..........

[RED-DOG]

Hope she gets well soon Sark.

When I saw this thread, I thought E. coli was our latest member.

[Sark79]

He ended up battering his Dad with a hammer and burying him under a pile of scrap in a tat yard (it was later proven his Dad was alive at the time), just some food for thought..........

Blimey.. not the kind of chap you want round for tea and scones


Thanks Red.  lol   new member