Features

A Unique Child Health: A doctor's diary ... E. Coli

'I'm worried my grandchild has that killer E. Coli bug, doctor!'

A grandfather rang our surgery concerned about his nine-year-old grand-daughter, who had been unwell for two days with vomiting and diarrhoea. He'd heard the news about the recent outbreak of E. Coli at a Surrey farm and felt she should be seen by her GP.

It isn't unusual for children to attend their general practice with gastric infections. Nor is it uncommon for family members to express concern about rare, but serious, infections that often hit the headlines, most notably meningitis, but in this instance E. Coli 0157.

E. COLI 0157

So what is E. Coli 0157 and why should we worry about it? Escherichia coli (E. Coli) is, in fact, a commonly occurring bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and excreted in faeces.

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