In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is E. coli?What Do We Currently Know About This Outbreak?How to Prevent E. coli Infections at HomeWhat Are the Symptoms of an E. coli Infection?
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Is E. coli?
What Do We Currently Know About This Outbreak?
How to Prevent E. coli Infections at Home
What Are the Symptoms of an E. coli Infection?
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If you feel like there’s been a lot of food recalls and contamination outbreaks lately, you’re right. From harmful bacteria to yeast overgrowth to heavy metals, we’ve reported on many of them. And now there’s anotherE. colioutbreak. As of right now, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t have a lot of information on it, but here’s what we know so far.
Recalls
Short forEscherichia coli,E. coliis a type of bacteria. According to the FDA,E. coliis often innocuous. You might even have some living in your gut. But there are different strains ofE. coli,and some can be potentially dangerous. This recall involves one of those types. Referred to asE. coliO157:H7 or Shiga toxin-producingE. coli(STEC), this strain ofE. colican be particularly dangerous and even life-threatening. The primary sources of STEC outbreaks are raw or undercooked ground meat products, raw milk and cheeses, and contaminated vegetables and sprouts.
In short, we don’t know a whole lot about this particular outbreak. We know there have been 25 reported cases of illness so far. Some of the illnesses are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which then passes the numbers on to the FDA with weekly updates. And some are reported directly to the FDA, so the number is constantly changing during an active outbreak investigation.
We also know this investigation is ongoing and that the FDA has initiated traceback—meaning investigating where theE. coliis coming from. This also means that we don’t yet know what foods are causing this outbreak. The FDA also has not yet released any geographic information regarding where the outbreak is taking place.
While it can be scary, there are things you can do to cut down on your risk ofE. coliexposure and prevent foodborne illness. Here are a few things the FDA and CDC recommend.
This Common Cooking Mistake Could Be Making You Sick
If you or a family member experience symptoms of foodborne illness or adverse events related to food—including an allergic reaction—it’s important to report it. In any of these situations, you would contact the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and submit an inquiry or report a complaint.
According to the CDC, symptoms of anE. coliinfection can include:
The CDC recommends seeing your health care practitioner if the vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than two days, if there is blood in the diarrhea or urine, if the fever goes above 102°F, or if there aresigns of dehydration.
The Bottom Line
While many types ofE. coliare harmless, the type currently infecting people is making them sick. Since we don’t yet know what products are causing it or what part of the country they’re in, it’s important to take safety precautions. Wash your hands before and after handling food, thoroughly cook your meats,wash your vegetablesand cook them when possible, and stick with pasteurized dairy products and juices. If you do get sick and suspect it’s something you ate, submit a complaint to the FDA.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Escherichia coli (E. coli).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to preventE. Coliinfection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Water treatment options when hiking, camping or traveling.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Industry and consumer assistance from CFSAN.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms ofE. coliInfection.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Escherichia coli (E. coli).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to preventE. Coliinfection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Water treatment options when hiking, camping or traveling.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Industry and consumer assistance from CFSAN.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms ofE. coliInfection.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Escherichia coli (E. coli).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to preventE. Coliinfection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Water treatment options when hiking, camping or traveling.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Industry and consumer assistance from CFSAN.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms ofE. coliInfection.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to preventE. Coliinfection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Water treatment options when hiking, camping or traveling.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Industry and consumer assistance from CFSAN.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms ofE. coliInfection.
