What are the symptoms of an E. coli infection?
A. Drinking water that is contaminated with E. coli can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. Some infected people may have mild diarrhea or no symptoms at all. Most identified cases develop severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Blood is often seen in the stool. Usually, little or no fever is present. Symptoms generally appear three to four days after exposure, but can take as long as nine days to appear. Persons experiencing these symptoms should immediately contact their physician.
