E. Coli Infections Summary E. coli is the name of a type of bacteria that lives in your intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless. However, some types can make you sick and cause diarrhea. One type causes travelers’ diarrhea. The worst type of E. coli causes bloody diarrhea, and can sometimes cause kidney failure and even death. These problems are most likely to occur in children and in adults with weak immune systems. You can get E. coli infections by eating foods containing the bacteria. Symptoms of infection include Nausea or vomiting Severe abdominal cramps Watery or very bloody diarrhea Fatigue Fever To help avoid food poisoning and prevent infection, handle food safely. Cook meat well, wash fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking them, and avoid unpasteurized milk and juices. You can also get the infection by swallowing water in a swimming pool contaminated with human waste. Most cases of E. coli infection get better without treatment in 5 to 10 days. NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Related Issues CDC Vital Signs: Making Health Care Safer — Stop Infections from Lethal CRE Germs Now Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Farm Animals Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ground Beef and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome American Academy of Family Physicians Statistics and Research CDC Vital Signs: Making Food Safer to Eat Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Escherichia coli Infections National Institutes of Health Children E-Coli Infection: Not Just from Food American Academy of Pediatrics E. Coli Nemours Foundation Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in Children National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Start Here E. Coli National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases E. Coli Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research E. Coli Centers for Disease Control and Prevention E. Coli Infection American Academy of Family Physicians Prevention and Risk Factors E. coli Array E. coli Transmission National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Kitchen Thermometers Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Women E. Coli and Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Array E. coli enteritis Hemolytic-uremic syndrome Symptoms E. coli Symptoms National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Specifics Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Escherichia coli (E. coli) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Games Food Detectives: Fight Bac Partnership for Food Safety Education Find an Expert National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Journal Articles E. Coli and hemolytic-uremic syndrome E. Coli Infections
