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Q: What are the symptoms of E-coli infection on the digestive tract?
A: E-coli infection of the digestive tract causes inflammation of the bowel (gastroenteritis), either by the production of certain toxins that are responsible for the disease or by directly invading the affected cells. E-coli transmission frequently occurs from undercooked meats (such as hamburgers) or by ingestion of water or food contaminated with the bacteria. Elderly individuals and children are more severely affected by the disease, which may be fatal in the most severe cases.
Symptoms of the disease may include diarrhea (which can be bloody or unbloody, depending on the organism), abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting. In addition, depending on the type of E-coli bacteria affecting the individual, the disease may also cause destruction of the red blood cells, with a decrease in their number (hemolytic anemia), decrease in the number of platelets, kidney problems, and neurologic manifestations.
The three most common types of E-coli that cause diarrhea are: 1) enterotoxigenic E-coli, which make secretory toxins that produce watery diarrhea by a mechanism similar to that of cholera; 2) enteropathogenic E-coli, which attach to and invade the bowel cells, causing fever, vomiting, and diarrhea; and 3) enterohemorrhagic E-coli, which produce toxins which cause bloody diarrhea, often without fever. In addition, enterohemorrhagic E-coli may cause hemolytic anemia, as described above, with a decrease in the red blood cell count, platelet count, as well as associated possible kidney disease, and neurologic manifestations.
Updated: 09/12/99
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