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Summary
E. coli is the name of a type of bacteria that lives in your intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless. However, some types can make you sick and cause diarrhea. One type causes travelers' diarrhea. The worst type of E. coli causes bloody diarrhea, and can sometimes cause kidney failure and even death. These problems are most likely to occur in children and in adults with weak immune systems.
You can get E. coli infections by eating foods containing the bacteria. Symptoms of infection include:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Severe abdominal cramps
- Watery or very bloody diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Fever
To help avoid food poisoning and prevent infection, handle food safely. Cook meat well, wash fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking them, and avoid unpasteurized milk and juices. You can also get the infection by swallowing water in a swimming pool contaminated with human waste.
Most cases of E. coli infection get better without treatment in 5 to 10 days.
- About Escherichia coli Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- E. coli (Department of Health and Human Services) - PDF
-
E. Coli
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- How to Prevent E. coli Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Related Issues
- Farm Animals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Ground Beef and Food Safety (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Escherichia coli Infections
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: A possible role of urinary genotoxic Escherichia coli in prostate cancer...
- Article: Rapid detection and capture of clinical Escherichia coli strains mediated by...
- Article: Prevalence and risk factors of antimicrobial resistance patterns of Staphylococcus spp....
- E. Coli Infections -- see more articles
Find an Expert
Children
- E-Coli Infection: Not Just from Food (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
-
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in Children
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Teenagers
- E. Coli Infections: Diarrhea (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Women
- Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- E. coli (Department of Health and Human Services) - PDF
- E. coli enteritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.