Escherichia eColi and kangaroo meat, what does E.coli mean and what can it do to you?
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a rapidly emerging cause of foodborne illness. An estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year. Infection often leads to bloody diarrhea, and occasionally to kidney failure. Most illness has been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground meat. Person-to-person contact in families and child care centers is also an important mode of transmission. Infection can also occur after drinking raw milk and after swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water. Consumers can prevent E. coli O157:H7 infection by thoroughly cooking all meat, especially ground meat, avoiding unpasteurized milk, and washing hands carefully. Because the organism lives in the intestines of healthy cattle, preventive measures on cattle farms and during meat processing are being investigated. What is Escherichia coli O157:H7? E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harml
