Health Care Provider Information on E. coli and HUS
On this page:
Required Disease Reporting
Clinical Features
Laboratory Diagnosis
Treatment
Required Disease Reporting
- Reporting Enteric
Escherichia coli infection (E. coli O157:H7, other enterohemorrhagic
E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, enteroinvasive
E. coli)
Health care providers and clinical laboratories are required to report cases and suspect cases of Escherichia coli to the Minnesota Department of Health.
- Reporting
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
Health care providers and clinical laboratories are required to report cases and suspect cases of HUS to the Minnesota Department of Health.
- Cases are subject to restriction
on daycare attendance and food handling.
Clinical Features
- CDC: Escherichia
coli Infections
Includes information about clinical features, transmission, trends, and more.
Laboratory Diagnosis
- Infection with E. coli (including O157:H7) is diagnosed by detecting
the bacterium in the stool. Most laboratories that culture stool do
not test for E. coli O157:H7, so it is important to request
that the stool specimen be tested on sorbitol-MacConkey (SMAC) agar
for this organism. All persons who suddenly have diarrhea with blood
should get their stool tested for E. coli O157:H7.
Treatment
- Most persons recover without antibiotics or other specific treatment
in 5-10 days. There is no evidence that antibiotics improve the course
of disease, and it is thought that treatment with some antibiotics may
precipitate kidney complications. Antidiarrheal agents, such as loperamide
(Imodium), should also be avoided.
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a life-threatening condition usually
treated in an intensive care unit.
- HUS develops in about 5% of reported E. coli O157:H7 cases, most frequently in young children or the elderly.
- Blood transfusions and kidney dialysis are often required. With intensive care, the death rate for hemolytic uremic syndrome is 3%-5%.
Do you suspect that you have a foodborne or waterborne illness? Visit reporting suspected foodborne/waterborne illnesses.
To report a suspected foodborne or waterborne illness call 1-877-FOOD-ILL.
Spotlight
Safer Farm Animal Contact Exhibits (Safer FACEs)
The Safer Farm Animal Contact Exhibits (Safer FACEs) training program can help you understand the risks of illness and injury from farm animals, and how to protect your visitors. Complete this free online training and the Minnesota Department of Health will provide certification that your venue has learned about these issues.
Keeping Food Safe During Buffets or Picnics
Buffets or picnics can be a means to transmit disease among your guests if care is not taken in how the food is handled.
Preventing Illness Associated with Animal Contact
How to stay healthy around household pets, petting zoos and fairs.
Waterborne Illness
Waterborne illness is caused by recreational or drinking water contaminated by disease-causing microbes or pathogens. Of note, many waterborne pathogens can also be acquired by consuming contaminated food or beverages, from contact with animals or their environment, or through person-to-person spread.
There's No Such Thing as "Stomach Flu" (PDF)
Complaints of "stomach flu" are usually norovirus, the most common cause of gastrointestinal illness.
Food Safety Basics: Preventing Foodborne Illness
There's a lot you can do to handle and prepare your food safely. Learn what you can do to prepare, serve and store food safely.
Protect others if you are experiencing diarrhea!
Anyone with a diarrheal illness should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths with others, and preparing food for others.
Young children (children in diapers) that are experiencing diarrhea should not be allowed to go swimming or attend daycare.
Contact us:
If you have questions or comments about this page, use our IDEPC Comment Form or call 651-201-5414 for the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division.