Background
Escherichia Coli is a pathogen that is mostly found in the human and warm-blooded animals’ guts. A majority of E.Coli strains are harmless, even though some strains such as the Shiga toxin that produces E.Coli (STEC) are dangerous and can cause serious foodborne illness. Humans acquire STEC by consuming contaminated food, for instance, contaminated sprouts and vegetables, undercooked or raw ground meat products, and raw milk. STEC produces Shiga toxins, which are identical to the toxins that Shigella dysenteriae produces. STEC survives in temperatures that range from 7 to 50 degree Celsius, with 37 degrees Celsius as the optimum temperature. Certain STEC strains can develop in acidic foods with a pH of 4.4. Others can grow in foods with a 0.95 minimum water activity. STEC is related with different symptoms in humans that range from mild diarrhea to serious hemorrhagic colitis (Donnenberg, 2013).
Cooking food up to a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius or higher destroys STEC. The most significant STEC serotype that is related to public health is E.Coli O157: H7. Nevertheless, other serotypes that have been involved in sporadic outbreaks and cases also exist.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Basic Features
E.Coli comprises a rod-shaped; facultative (anaerobic and aerobic growth) gram-negative pathogen that is mostly found in animal feces, lower mammalian intestines and sometimes on the boundary of hot springs (Donnenberg, 2013). The pathogen is a gram-negative bacterium that cannot sporulate. E.Coli has an adhesive fimbriae and a cell wall that contains an external membrane and an adhesive fimbriae containing an interior cytoplasmic film, lipopolysaccharides, a peptidoglycan layer, and a periplasmic space. Certain E.Coli types are piliated and can receive and allocate plasmid from and to other pathogens, which allows the pathogen to endure tense or bad environments (Donnenberg, 2013). While the pathogen has a modest cell arrangement with a plasmid and a single chromosomal DNA, it can engage in complex metabolic activity to maintain its cell division and cell growth.
Modes of Transmission
E.Coli is transmitted to people mainly when they consume contaminated foods, for instance, raw milk and undercooked or raw ground meat products. Infection can also result from faecal contamination of foods and water, cross-contamination when preparing food products such as meat products, contaminated kitchen utensils and surfaces. Human to human contact is also a vital transmission mode through the oral-faecal path. It is possible for asymptomatic people to infect other people. Another vital risk factor for E.Coli infection is when humans come in contact with farm animals. Consumption of vegetables and fruits in which contamination is caused by contact with faeces from wild or domestic animals at a certain stage during handling or cultivation is another cause of E.Coli infection. Waterborne transmission from contaminated drinking water and recreational water bodies has been reported also (Donnenberg, 2013).
Virulence Factors
E.Coli has several virulence factors with the most dominant virulence factor being hemagglutination. Others include hemolysin, serum resistance, cell surface hydrophobicity and gelatinase (Donnenberg, 2013).
Prevention and Treatment
Infection prevention entails practicing good food hygiene to prevent transmission of bacteria, for example keeping food clean, isolating cooked from raw food, keeping food under safe temperatures, cooking food thoroughly and using safe water and raw materials. Vegetables and fruits should be washed carefully and peeled if possible. Small kids and the elderly should not consume undercooked or raw meat products and raw milk. Frequent hand washing before preparing or consuming food and after contact with toilet should also be practiced.
If infected, symptoms usually clear up naturally within one to three days without treatment. Nevertheless, patients should not consume dairy products since those products can induce temporary lactose intolerance, which can worsen the symptoms (Donnenberg, 2013). There are no current treatments that can cure an E.Coli infection, prevent complications or relieve symptoms. Treatment for a majority of people includes rest, intake of fluid to prevent fatigue and dehydration (Donnenberg, 2013). Infected people should not take anti-diarrheal drugs because these drugs will slow their digestive system and prevent their bodies from removing the toxins (Donnenberg, 2013). Besides, antibiotics should not be used as they increase the danger of severe complications. For people with a severe E.Coli infection that causes haemolytic uremic syndrome, hospitalization is recommended to receive supportive care that includes kidney dialysis, blood transfusion and IV fluids (Donnenberg, 2013).
From the Christian Worldviews, God made microbes originally to perform beneficial functions. Our bodies have trillions of bacteria that perform different functions without causing diseases. However, just like other creatures that have gone bad, such as thistles and thorns, some microbes like specific E-Colli strains have also become harmful. Thus, it is important to fight the harmful pathogen by practicing all the recommended actions.
Reference
Top of Form
Donnenberg, M. S. (2013). Escherichia coli: Pathotypes and Principles of Pathogenesis . London: Elsevier Science.
Bottom of Form
