Germ of the Month - October 2005

This month we would like to reintroduce you to Eli (Escherichia coli). Eli has always been one of those children who plays where he shouldn’t. And today he acts like Jekyl and Hyde when his alter ego Eli 0157:H7 gets out and causes
trouble.

Escherichia coli is a cause of foodborne illness. Infection often leads to bloody diarrhea, and occasionally to kidney failure. Most documented cases have been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef. Other known sources of infection are consumption of sprouts, lettuce, salami, and unpasteurized milk and juices. Person-to-person contact in families, child care centers, healthcare facilities and anywhere there is overcrowding are potential opportunities for transmission. In these situations, it is most often associated with poor hand hygiene and transmission through the oral-fecal route. Infection can also occur after swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water.¹

E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of bacterial strains of Escherichia coli. Although most strains are fairly harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, this strain produces a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness. An estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year, most infections coming from eating undercooked ground beef.²

Children under 5 years of age and the elderly are at risk for a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome. About 2%- 7% of infections lead to this complication. In the United States, hemolytic uremic syndrome is the principal cause of acute kidney failure in children, and most cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome are caused by E. coli O157:H7. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a life-threatening condition and requires treatment in a critical care environment.³ Most persons recover without antibiotics or other specific treatment in 5-10 days. There is no evidence that antibiotics improve the course of disease, and it is thought that treatment with some antibiotics may precipitate kidney complications, particularly in children.⁴ As always, a key component to the reduction of transmission is good hand hygiene with a product that has good persistence.

We hope you enjoy introducing your staff to Eli this month as you continue your own efforts to educate and maintain awareness about infectious disease in your facility. This information is brought to you by Mölnlycke Health Care, maker of Hibiclens® antiseptic and Hibistat®, convenient antimicrobial towelettes with the persistence of CHG.⁵ Our reason for all that we do is to provide you with the very best in products and support, to help you control infections. We look forward to hearing from you about our Hibigeebie® campaign. Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-843-8497.

 

 

 

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1 About-E. Coli. Accessed at: http://www.about-ecoli.com
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_g.htm.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_g.htm
4 About-E.Coli. Accessed at: http://www.about-ecoli.com
5 Mölnlycke Health Care urges all users to read the product leaflet closely and use Hibi products only as directed.