is it possible for her to get e. coli from this? i understand she is growing some kind of bacteria that is resistant to ampicillin? i was just wondering so that she can take the proper precautions -- her teacher didn't say anything about washing their hands, etc...
2007-03-05 08:18:42 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Its a lab. Common practice when leaving any lab is to wash your hands. If she is old enough to be doing this sort of thing, she shouldn't need telling.
Secondly I rather suspect she's going to be putting a plasmid containing a resistance gene into the bacteria - the resistance gene will be used to isolate those bacteria which have taken up the plasmid from those which haven't. There is more than one antibioitc to treat E. coli. Even if she ate a sample, the worst that could happen is diahroea - thats it.
Oh, she'll be using a lab strain - ie non-infectious, and pGLO is the plasmid she is using.
2007-03-05 08:30:03 · answer #1 · answered by Bacteria Boy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on which E. coli virus she is working with. The e. coli virus taht actually causes the diease you are concerned about is e. coli 0157: H7. Anyways, i am sure her teacher is making them take all the precautions and making them wash their hands, the only way she could get the diease is if she is working with this e. coli virus and if she orally contracts it by either sticking some part of the experiment in her mouth or touching it and then her fingers or food she has touched ends up in her mouth. Contact the school or email her teacher if you are truly worried.
2007-03-05 08:27:12 · answer #2 · answered by Erin 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well we all have e-coli in our feces and we are not all getting sick so as long as she washes her hands with soap and water she should be ok. If you are concerned then buy her some gloves at the pharmacy to wear when she in this class and she can throw them in the trash when she is done.
2007-03-05 08:23:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the ecoli (H571) is not what she is working with, that is a controlled organism for growth for study by professionals only, and that is the one that causes illness. (there are hundreds of strains of ecoli) If her instructor has not made a point of insisting on hand washing, then I suggest you need to step in and insist. Not because the ecoli she is working with might infect her, but because there are literally millions of other germs floating about a classroom that can make her equally ill as (H571)
2007-03-05 08:25:51 · answer #4 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I hope as her mother, you've taught her to wash her hands already.........?
Call the school and ask if you are concerned with the project. As long as she doesn't EAT the project, she'll be fine.
2007-03-05 08:22:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh, man. That sounds really dangerous. I used to be an infection control nurse, so maybe I am a little high strung about microbes, but I think I would refuse to allow my child to grow a drug resistant bacterium. Could her teacher consider an alternate lab assignment? I think I would check into it. I don't blame you for being worried. Good luck.
2007-03-05 08:24:36 · answer #6 · answered by Sabrina 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
nope..and it would be common sense to wash your hands after playing with ecoli
2007-03-05 08:26:06 · answer #7 · answered by Sam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋