Health Care Provider Information on E. coli and HUS
- Reporting Enteric
Escherichia coli infection (E. coli O157:H7, other enterohemorrhagic
E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, enteroinvasive
Healthcare providers and clinical laboratories are required to report cases and suspect cases of Escherichia coli to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
Healthcare 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.
CDC; Includes information about clinical features, transmission, trends, and more.Attention: Non-MDH link
- 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.
- 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 illness? Visit reporting suspected foodborne illnesses.