Sandhya Chalasani
Lydia Medeiros
There are a variety of Escherichia coli bacteria present in nature. They are usually found in the intestines of healthy humans and healthy animals. Even though these bacteria offer beneficial properties, there are those variations, or strains, that are pathogenic (have the ability to cause disease). Escherichia coli 0157:H7 is one particular strain that is "... an emerging cause of foodborne illness ..." Symptoms such as bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps may be observed or no such symptoms may appear. The elderly and children under five years old are highly susceptible to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, a disease in which red blood cells are destroyed and kidneys fail (Kendrick & Wrobel-Woerner, 1997).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximates that 10,000 to 20,000 people in the United States are annually affected, including 500 deaths (Reed & Kaplan, 1996). The most frequently known outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 are associated with fecal contaminated meats in slaughterhouses. However, it can also be associated with:
New food safety guidelines are being implemented to decrease the incidence of contamination occurring during processing. However, this alone is not enough. Consumers need to take more responsibility. As a researcher has said, "preparation and sanitation methods are key to preventing foodborne illness in the home as in other areas of food handling" (Collins, 1997).
Imagine that you have come into contact with Escherichia coli 0157:H7 contaminated items and you did not wash your hands. How many people do you come into contact with on a daily basis? If none of these people wash their hands thoroughly before making dinner, they could expose themselves and their families to the E. coli pathogen.
Handwashing is not only critical in reducing cross-contamination and personal contamination of food, it is also an important factor in affecting risk or even incidence of foodborne disease. Proper handwashing is seen to "significantly reduce infections transmitted by the fecal-oral route and in situations of poor hygiene" (Collins, 1997).
Hands should be washed after:
What is the proper technique for washing your hands?
Picture a pinhead. On this pinhead there can be millions to billions of bacterial cells present and only 2 to 2,000 cells are sufficient to cause an infection (Buchanan & Doyle, 1997).
Actually, many reports indicate that Escherichia coli 0157:H7 are acid tolerant. Therefore, enough cells are able to survive the low pH of our stomachs to cause an infection.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) alerts consumers that it is unreliable to determine by its color if meat is cooked. It recommends using thermometers to take the internal temperature of the meat. The director of FSIS advises cooking meats and poultry until they reach internal temperatures of:
In addition to proper handwashing, follow these recommendations to reduce the risk of an E. coli 0157:H7 infection:
For further information on Food Safety, call your local county Extension office, or call USDA's national hotline for Meat and Poultry at 1-800-535-4555 (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time) or visit the FSIS web site: http://www.usda.gov/fsis.
Buchanan, Robert L. and M. P. Doyle. 1997. Foodborne Disease Significance of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and other Entrohemorrhagic E. coli. Food Technology 51: 69-75.
Collins, Janet E. 1997. Impact of Changing Consumer Lifestyles on the Emergence/Reemergence of Foodborne Pathogens. Emerging Infectious Diseases 3(4): n. pag. Online. Internet. 23 Feb. 1998. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol3no4/collins.html.
FSIS: USDA Advises Consumers to Use a Thermometer when Cooking Hamburger. 1997. n. pag. Online. Internet. 26 Feb. 1998. Available: http://www/usda.gov/agency/fsis/thermopr.html.
Kendrick, Kathleen E. and E. A. Wrobel-Woerner. 1997. Identification of Enteric Bacteria by Using Metabolic Characteristics: An Excerpt from a Bulletin Published by the Centers for Disease Control. Microbiology 520 AU '97 Laboratory Manual.
Reed, Craig A. and B. Kaplan. 1996. S.O.S. ... HELP prevent E. coli 0157:H7 ... et al! Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 209:1213.
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