If everyone has e.coli in their intestines, why does it make us sick?
2006-12-28 05:39:26 · 5 answers · asked by jesswondrin 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Good question! It's true that everyone has Escherichia coli in their intestines. However, there are hundreds of different strains, some of them are toxic, and those are the kinds that make us sick. E. coli is spread through undercooked meat (especially ground beef) and vegetables (ie : spinach, lettuce, sprouts, etc.). It can also be spread through poor hygeine (not washing hands). E. coli usually clears up within 1 week, but in the young and elderly, it can take much longer. Depending on what strain you become infected with, it can take shorter or longer to clear up. In very serious and rare cases (5% of E.coli cases), it can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can cause kidney failure. Since E. coli is a bacteria, you can treat it with antibiodics. You can prevent E. coli by washing your hands, washing vegetables, and cooking your meat thoroughly.
Hope this helps!
2006-12-28 08:06:37 · answer #1 · answered by ClimbingChica 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are over 700 varieties of E. coli; we all have some in our intestinal tract.
One way that E. coli can make us sick is if it gets somewhere it does not belong, like the urinary tract or the blood stream. The other way to get sick is to get a strain that your body is not accustomed to.
E. Coli bacteria produce toxins that make us sick. Physiologically, the toxin causes an increase in cyclic GMP in host cell cytoplasm leading to the same effects as an increase in cAMP. It binds to a guanylate cyclase that is located on the apical membranes of host cells, thereby activating the enzyme. This leads to secretion of fluid and electrolytes resulting in diarrhea. But that's probably more than you wanted to know.
2006-12-28 13:49:22 · answer #2 · answered by Pangolin 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Our intestines have many many bacteria in it but it doesn't affect us because there is no bacteria that can be absorbed into our bodies through there. But when some of the bacteria like E . Coli get out they can be caught in some other way and go through our mouths and all and get us sick because there has been a new pathogen re-introduced into our systems.
2006-12-28 13:43:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's the toxin that makes us sick. You can kill the bacteria (as in cooking), but the toxin if not washed away will still get you.
2006-12-28 14:19:29 · answer #4 · answered by jimmymae2000 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
your own e.coli is fine. other people's is not cool.
2006-12-28 13:40:48 · answer #5 · answered by videocrew 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋