If you experience loose, frequent and watery bowel movements, you have diarrhea.This type of diarrhea occurs when Americans travel outside of the United States and eat contaminated food or water.Food that has been improperly handled, packaged or washed contains parasites or bacteria, which lead to intestinal upset and diarrhea.In fact, in May 2010, a prominent distributor issued a major lettuce recall due to a foodborne illness that left at least 19 people sick.Prevent dehydration caused by diarrhea by drinking plenty of fluids.A fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit or greater accompanied by diarrhea also warrants a trip to your physician. .
E. coli
But a few strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.You may be exposed to E. coli from contaminated water or food — especially raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef.Young children and older adults have a greater risk of developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure.Signs and symptoms of E.
coli O157:H7 infection usually begin three or four days after exposure to the bacteria.Unlike many other disease-causing bacteria, E. coli can cause an infection even if you ingest only small amounts.Because of this, you can be sickened by E.
coli from eating a slightly undercooked hamburger or from swallowing a mouthful of contaminated pool water.Potential sources of exposure include contaminated food or water and person-to-person contact.Ground beef combines meat from many different animals, increasing the risk of contamination.Ground beef combines meat from many different animals, increasing the risk of contamination.Some people also have been infected with E. coli after swimming in pools or lakes contaminated with stool.Outbreaks have also occurred among children visiting petting zoos and in animal barns at county fairs.Young children and older adults are at higher risk of experiencing illness caused by E. coli and more-serious complications from the infection.Young children and older adults are at higher risk of experiencing illness caused by and more-serious complications from the infection.People who have weakened immune systems — from AIDS or from drugs to treat cancer or prevent the rejection of organ transplants — are more likely to become ill from ingesting E.
coli .People who have weakened immune systems — from AIDS or from drugs to treat cancer or prevent the rejection of organ transplants — are more likely to become ill from ingesting .If you take medications to reduce stomach acid, such as esomeprazole (Nexium), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec), you may increase your risk of an E. coli infection.Some people — particularly young children and older adults — may develop a life-threatening form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse says E.
coli bacteria can create some stomach-turning symptoms, like abdominal pain and nausea."If somebody were to be exposed to E. coli in something they ate or drank, they may have symptom onset within a couple of days to a few weeks after infection or exposure.".Dr. Rajapakse says the best way to avoid a bout with the bacteria is to wash your hands and thoroughly cook your hamburgers.Washing produce may not get rid of all E. coli — especially in leafy greens, which provide many places for the bacteria to attach themselves to.Careful rinsing can remove dirt and reduce the amount of bacteria that may be clinging to the produce. .
Here Are the E. Coli Symptoms to Watch Out For, Just in Case You
Investigators have yet to pinpoint the source—or even a common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand—hence the abundantly cautious blanket warning."Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick," reads the alert.It actually bears the same DNA fingerprint as the strain seen in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in fall 2017 that was linked to leafy greens in the U.S. and romaine in Canada.One person has developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, the CDC reports, but there have been no deaths.
.
Did You Eat E.coli Contaminated Romaine Lettuce? Here's How to
Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have asked Americans to discard all romaine lettuce following an outbreak of E.coli that's been traced back to the leafy green.While health officials have been able to trace the E.coli-tainted romaine lettuce back to Yuma, Arizona, the first waves of warnings earlier this week weren't as stringent as they are now.It's a rare form of kidney failure, and younger children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk to develop this serious illness. .
CDC Says Avoid Romaine Lettuce from California: What to Know
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising people not to eat any lettuce harvested in or around Salinas, California.According to the company’s statement, the affected products were shipped to distribution locations in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.Washing may not be sufficient to completely remove contamination,” says Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases specialist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.But some strains such as Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) can cause bloody diarrhea and lead to anemia, kidney failure, sepsis, and death,” Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, emailed in a statement.“There is no specific treatment for this type of E.
coli infection and it is treated with supportive care such as intravenous fluids and dialysis for those who require it,” Adalja said.“Lettuce is a food that has many avenues for contamination to occur — the water used to irrigate it, the hands of the pickers, the machinery that places it into bags, etc.,” Adalja said.“Lettuce is also a food that has an irregular surface that gives bacteria ample places to be located, many of which may be hard to completely clean with washing,” Adalja added. .
Is Lettuce Safe for Dogs? Can Dogs Have Lettuce?
It should be noted that spinach, while containing large amounts of Vitamins A, B, C, and K, is also very high in oxalic acid, which blocks the body’s ability to absorb calcium and can lead to kidney damage.Kale also contains several potentially harmful natural compounds, including calcium oxalate — which could lead to kidney and bladder stones — and isothiocyanates, that can cause mild to potentially severe gastric irritation.Given that it’s 90 percent water, lettuce’s nutritional content is somewhat low, especially the iceberg variety.However, be aware that just because your dog can eat lettuce doesn’t mean you should give him your leftover salad! .
Questions and Answers
The strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O104:H4 that caused a large outbreak in Europe in 2011 was frequently referred to as EHEC.In addition to E. coli O157, many other kinds (called serogroups) of STEC cause disease.First, clinical laboratories must test stool samples for the presence of Shiga toxins. .
Lettuce, Other Leafy Greens, and Food Safety
CDC estimates that germs on produce eaten raw cause a large percentage of U.S. foodborne illnesses.Other harmful germs found on leafy greens include norovirus, Salmonella, Listeria, and Cyclospora.People who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness (a weakened immune system) external icon.To reduce your chance of getting sick, always follow the steps for safely handling and preparing leafy greens before eating or serving them.Always follow the steps for safely handling and preparing leafy greens before feeding them to pets and other animals.Studies show that this step removes some of the germs and dirt on leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits.What other food safety steps should I keep in mind when I select, store, and prepare leafy greens and other produce?Make sure pre-cut produce, such as bagged salad or cut fruits and vegetables, is refrigerated or on ice at the store.Separate produce from raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs in your shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator.Store leafy greens, salads, and all pre-cut and packaged produce in a clean refrigerator with the temperature set to 40°F or colder.Use separate cutting boards and utensils for produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.Wash utensils, cutting boards, and kitchen surfaces with hot, soapy water after each use.Cook thoroughly or throw away any produce that touches raw meat, poultry, seafood or their juices.Germs that make people sick can be found in many places, including in the soil, in the feces or poop of animals, in refrigerators, and on kitchen surfaces.For example, germs from animal poop can get in irrigation water or fields where theexternal icon vegetables grow.Germs can also get on leafy greens in packing and processing facilities, in trucks used for shipping, from the unwashed hands of food handlers, and in the kitchen.To prevent contamination, leafy greens should be grown and handled safely at all points from farm to fork.Read a study by CDC and partners on what we have learned from 10 years of investigating E. coli outbreaks linked to leafy greens.In 2014–2018, a total of 51 foodborne disease outbreaks linked to leafy greens (mainly lettuce) were reported to CDC.Most recently, in 2019–2021, CDC investigated and warned the public about nine multistate outbreaks linked to leafy greens.All kinds of produce, including organic leafy greens, can be contaminated with harmful germs at any point from farm to fork.Leafy greens grown using these methods also can be contaminated with harmful germs at any point from farm to fork.CDC is collaborating with FDA, academia, and industry to investigate the factors that contribute to leafy greens contamination.The leafy greens industry, FDA, and state regulatory authorities have been implementing provisions of the Produce Safety Ruleexternal icon as part of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).external icon They are considering what further measures can be taken.
.
Romaine lettuce warning: What you should do if you ate romaine
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Americans have been warned to avoid eating any and all romaine lettuce because of an E. coli outbreak that left at least 32 people sick in 11 states.The warning, issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that consumers should throw away any romaine lettuce they have, and that it shouldn't be sold or served under any circumstances.As of Tuesday, there were a total of 50 confirmed cases in the United States and Canada out of the millions of consumers who have eaten or interacted with romaine lettuce.The CDC says that infection varies for each person, but common symptoms include severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.Officials advise people to contact a healthcare provider if you have diarrhea that lasts for more than three days, or is accompanied by fever, blood in the stool, intense vomiting and passing very little urine.According to the CDC, 5 to 10 percent of people who diagnosed with STEC infection develop a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS."Clues that someone is developing HUS include decreased frequency of urination, feeling very tired and losing pink color in cheeks and inside the lower eyelids," says the CDC.
.
