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). For more, please read the E. coli article.
