E. coli - Not a Disease of the Big City.Infection from E. coli E. coli: see Escherichia coli. E. coli in full Escherichia coli Species of bacterium that inhabits the stomach and intestines. E. coli can be transmitted by water, milk, food, or flies and other insects. 0157:H7 (E. coli) appears to be associated with small towns and rural areas. It is not a disease of the big cities. Researchers from the Communicable Disease communicable disease n. A disease that is transmitted through direct contact with an infected individual or indirectly through a vector. Also called contagious disease. Surveillance Centre in England have demonstrated the patchiness patch·y adj. patch·i·er, patch·i·est 1. Made up of or marked by patches: patchy trousers. 2. of E. coli distribution in the United Kingdom. Even in Scotland, where the prevalence is highest and has yet to be explained, incidence centers in rural regions like Grampian. In London, the incidence is almost zero. People who contract an E. coli infection are six times more likely to end up in a hospital than those who contract salmonella salmonella Any of the rod-shaped, gram-negative, non-oxygen-requiring bacteria that make up the genus Salmonella. Their main habitat is the intestinal tract of humans and other animals. , and death is 10 times more likely. A massive outbreak in Lanarkshire had a tragic death toll, although 90 percent of cases are apparently sporadic. Investigations indicate that cold cooked meats are the big problem, and that these outbreaks often occur at functions where the meat is eaten, such as wedding receptions. Cross-contamination is part of the problem - people handle these foods. (Adapted with permission from EHN EHN European Heart Network EHN Environmental Health Network EHN End Hunger Network EHN Ecology and Human Needs EHN European Heritage Network , 17 October, 1997) |
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