How does E. coli O157:H7 cause illness?
E. coli serotype O157:H7 is a rare variety of E. coli that produces large quantities of one or more related, potent toxins that cause severe damage to the lining of the intestine. What are the clinical symptoms associated with E. coli illness? Severe cramping or abdominal pain and diarrhea often with blood are two major symptoms associated with E. coli illness. Vomiting and low grade fever occurs occasionally. The illness can last as long as 8 days. How many E coli are needed to cause illness? The E. coli O157:H7 is highly virulent, and as low as 10 organisms may be enough to cause illness. What foods are associated with E coli illness? Clean foods are not supposed to be the source of the E. coli illness. Undercooked or raw hamburger (ground beef) has been implicated in many of the documented outbreaks, however E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have implicated alfalfa sprouts, unpasteurized fruit juices, dry-cured salami, lettuce, game meat, and cheese curds. Raw milk was the vehicle in a scho
