E.coli infection

E. coli is a group of bacteria that can cause infections in your gut, urinary tract and other parts of your body. Most of the time, it can live in your gut without hurting you. But some strains can make you sick with watery diarrhea, vomiting and a fever.

🦠 gut [gʌt] - кишечник

🦠 strain [streɪn] - штамм

🦠 watery diarrhea [ˈwɔːtərɪ daɪəˈriːə] - водянистая диарея

🦠 vomiting [ˈvɒmɪtɪŋ] - рвота

What are the symptoms of an E. coli infection?

Symptoms of E. coli gastroenteritis include:

• Diarrhea (often watery and sometimes bloody);

• Stomach pains and cramps;

• Loss of appetite;

• Low fever.

🦠 gastroenteritis [gæstrəʊ()entəˈraɪtɪs] - гастроэнтерит

🦠 cramps [kræmps] - судороги/спазмы

🦠 loss [lɒs] - потеря

How soon do symptoms of an E. coli infection start?

You usually develop symptoms of an STEC infection within three to five days after drinking or eating foods contaminated with this E. coli bacteria.

🦠 develop symptoms [dɪˈveləp ˈsɪmptəmz] - появились симптомы заболевания

🦠 STEC - Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (произносится либо по буквам, либо [æs tek])

🦠 contaminated [kənˈtæmɪneɪtɪd] - загрязненный

How do you get E. coli?

Most diarrheagenic E. coli strains spread through fecal-oral transmission. This happens when bacteria from poop that’s too small to see make their way into your mouth and digestive tract. Some forms, like STEC, can also transmit through undercooked meat and unpasteurized beverages.

🦠 diarrheagenic [daɪəˈriːə ˈdʒɛnɪk] - вызывающий диарею

🦠 transmission [trænzˈmɪʃn] - передача/перенос

🦠 poop [puːp] - кал

🦠 digestive tract [dɪˈʤestɪv trækt] - пищеварительный тракт

🦠 undercooked [ˌʌndəˈkʊkt] - недоваренный

🦠 unpasteurized [ˌʌnˈpæstʃəraɪzd] - непастеризованный

🦠 beverage [ˈbevərɪʤ] - напиток

Specifically, you can get E. coli from:

• Eating contaminated foods. This includes undercooked meat and raw fruits and veggies that aren’t washed well enough.

• Drinking unpasteurized beverages. This includes milk, cider or juice (and foods made from them, like cheese or ice cream).

• Drinking contaminated water. E. coli in poop from animals and people can contaminate natural water sources, swimming pools and drinking water that isn’t sanitized.

• Touching poop or contaminated surfaces. You can get poop on your hands from changing diapers, wiping after a bowel movement, touching petting zoo or farm animals, or sharing objects or surfaces with someone with an E. coli infection. You can swallow E. coli when it transfers from your hands to your mouth.

• Not wiping properly after going to the bathroom.

🦠 raw [rɔː] - сырой

🦠 diaper [ˈdaɪəpə] - подгузник

🦠 bowel movement [ˈbaʊəl ˈmuːvmənt] - дефекация

🦠 swallow [ˈswɒləʊ] - глотать

🦠 wipe [waɪp] - протирать/вытирать

Can you prevent E. coli infections?

The most important thing you can do to protect against E. coli infections is to wash your hands. It’s particularly important to wash them thoroughly with warm water and soap:

• Before and after cooking and after handling raw meat or poultry.

• After using the restroom, changing diapers or contact with animals.

🦠 thoroughly [ˈθʌrəlɪ] - тщательно

🦠 poultry [ˈpəʊltrɪ] - мясо птицы

You can also reduce your risk of an E. coli infection by following safe food preparation procedures:

• Rinse all raw fruits and vegetables under running water before eating them.

• Don’t defrost frozen meat unwrapped on the counter. Keep frozen meat in a separate plastic bag when thawing.

• Don’t rinse meat before cooking. Washing the meat could spread bacteria to nearby surfaces, utensils and other food.

• Use a plastic, silicone or ceramic cutting board to cut raw meat.

• Cook all meat to a safe temperature before eating.

• Refrigerate leftovers right away.

🦠 rinse [rɪns] - промывать/ополаскивать

🦠 defrost [diːˈfrɒst] - размораживать

🦠 unwrapped [ʌnˈræpt] - развернутый/неупакованный

🦠 thawing [ˈθɔːɪŋ] - оттаивание

🦠 utensils [juːˈtensɪlz] - домашняя утварь

🦠 leftovers [ˈleftəʊvəz] - объедки/остатки пищи