Why don't they tell us the E-coli source so we can avoid it?

[INeedNewShoes]

We're being warned about this current strain of E-coli. It sounds as though they've learned enough about the source to have an idea what it is. Why not tell the public so we can reduce our chance of getting it?

Of particular concern for the elderly, young children and anyone immunocompromised.

@WhereAreWeNow Due to the incubation period being more than 24 hours, (range of 1-10 days) the pathogen has all but in extreme cases (of sloth like motility) reached the lower end of the digestive system before onset of symptoms. Hence no vomiting. The average incubation for this strain is 3-4 days so it is easily deep in the intestinal tract so can have no impact with emetic symptoms.

I have never in 20 years experience had anyone with an E.Coli infection who had a symptom of vomiting.

This is a report on cases of the same strain. No vomiting reported for any of the cases. It is a secondary symptom. Not a primary one.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8950694/

Maybe if they hadnt told so many lies during Covid , partied and laughed at us in their Whatsapps................................

Very good point.

I’ll leave my contribution there. There are bound to be posters that don’t believe me because they’ve Googled it etc but I have given as much insight as I can. Just hope they get on top of this and quickly. It certainly doesn’t make me miss it. (Had to give up my career to look after my DS with SEN).

Tap water would be localised.

Interesting. I’m currently suffering a strange illness- no vomiting but have a temperature, chills, headache and diarrhoea. Mild tummy ache.
Wonder if it’s this

Vanishingly unlikely unless your entire area is also suffering the same illness.

There would be a very clear and identifiable connection between the cases. It would be easy to spot the common link, much like the outbreak of cryptosporidium in the Devon area recently.

I think it's from lettuce. Young people are probs more likely to buy premade sandwiches as part of meal deals (source: I am a young person), and more likely to go for fast food and the burgers will have lettuce on them. I wonder if it's the water that they use in one of the factories to wash the lettuce with.
I actually hope it isn't lettuce as I've been eating it all week!

I can’t believe the link to young adults and only one person in this thread has said avocado…

Its in a lot of prepared sandwiches and salads sold by major supermarkets

I’ve been reading today about the levels of E. coli being 6 times over the limit in a river. There’s probably multiple sources and they just can’t work it out yet. I suppose this is what happens when you pump shit into rivers and streams and who knows where else

My bet is pre-made sandwiches.(taps nose)

Sorry to be dim but is the salad risk then from cross contamination on meat or dairy farms? So if I only eat my own grown salad , there is no risk?

The river near me has something like x4 the safe level of ecoli in it at the moment. But I think I read it was a different strain?

I think it’s cucumbers. They have form for this 😁. Big cucumber ecoli outbreak in 2011 in Germany, one in the uk a few years ago, currently one in USA. All cucumbers!

My diet is nearly all plant based and I probably eat at least 8 portions of different fruit and veg every day 😩. I do wash everything well beforehand but I’m presuming that rinsing in water isn’t enough to kill it off? I obviously need to start eating more UPF 😁

The legal tolerance for the presence of e. coli in almost all foods is very low, but almost never zero. So it literally could comefrom anywhere

@Barnabyby I imagine there are many more cases as like COVID it has a variable presentation with 2-10% causing HUS which is likely to be the cases reported.

Our whole house recently had self diagnosed week long Noro which could have quite possibly been Ecoli. It wasn't pleasant but also wasn't a GP job so we will never know.

oh well, thanks to my IBS I cannot eat vegetables or lettuce so fingers crossed be ok😀

MummyJ12 · Today 17:04

Also, with regards to undercooked food. It is doubtful to be because of this. Most strains of E.Coli are killed off at relatively low cook temperatures. Some as low as 50 Celsius! (Although it’s important to note, that some strains of E.Coli are heat resistant and it’s recommended that all foods are cooked to 75).

It's not the bacteria per se, which makes people ill, it's the toxic waste products they produce. If you cook something contaminated, unless it's got a large load, you're unlikely to get ill, but it's not impossible. It doesn't take a lot for them to be able to multiply quickly enough to overwhelm the body's defences, so as you say, thorough cooking is best.

Probably not just the HUS cases being reported. Cases with bloody diarrhoea will quite often present to a doctor, and bloody diarrhoea tends to trigger a stool sample being sent. Though I do agree that mild cases without blood will be missed. Of course, if you know from the stool sample that there's an enterotoxin releasing E. coli around, it makes it a lot easier to pick up HUS early.

I've currently got this, the only thing I can think of is avocado. That's the only thing I ate that nobody else has.

Do you know it’s definitely E. coli or just some gastrointestinal thing? What are your symptoms?
I have had a temperature whenever I let my paracetamol wear off since Thursday with diarrhoea and tummy discomfort. No vomiting.

I had a packaged salad yesterday - in date (use by 9th June) but the packaging had gone all rock hard and convex, iykwim. I threw it away... Never had that before! So my guess is lettuce.

I'm thinking about their definition of young people. If they mean students and young adults at work. Probably going to be salad in a pre packaged sandwich?

It's just from eating food grown in animal shit. Why don't you look at what is obviously unsanitary

I'm waiting for the results of my sample. But yes, 10th day of diarrhoea, first few days I had a fever on and off, felt horrendous, slept whenever i wasn't on the toilet, absolutely uncontrollable diarrhoea and stomach cramps. No vomiting or feeling nauseous whatsoever.
I feel OK between bouts now, but the bouts are still really horrible ans give me stomach cramps. You need to get a sample to the doctor.