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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infections typically begin three or four days after exposure to the bacteria, though you may become ill as soon as one day afterward to more than a week later. Signs and symptoms include:
- Diarrhea, which may range from mild and watery to severe and bloody
- Abdominal cramping, pain or tenderness
- Nausea and vomiting, in some people
When to see a doctor
Contact your doctor if:
- You become ill after eating fresh produce or undercooked ground beef
- Your diarrhea is persistent or severe
- Your diarrhea is bloody
Your doctor may test a stool sample for E. coli bacteria. Most E. coli infections — even those caused by O157:H7 — clear up without treatment.
- Escherichia coli. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/stec_gi.html. Accessed May 5, 2009.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 12, 2009.
- Bitteman RA, et al. Acute gastroenteritis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/135505615-6/837468548/1365/282.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50098-6--cesec40_4619. Accessed May 5, 2009.
- Calderwood SB. Microbiology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 5, 2009.
- Basic information about E. coli O157:H7 in drinking water. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/ecoli.html. Accessed May 5, 2009.
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome in children. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/childkidneydiseases/hemolytic_uremic_syndrome/. Accessed May 5, 2009.
- Calderwood SB. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 5, 2009.
