Health Law

Possible Complications of E. coli O157:H7 Bacterial Infections

By Marler Clark LLP

In the last week the CDC reported that it in conjunction with state health departments had identified 14 cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness among residents Maryland (3 cases), New Jersey (2 cases), North Carolina (1 case), Ohio (2 cases) and Pennsylvania (6 cases) linked to Sezltzer's Lebanon Beef bologna produced by Palmyra Bolgna Products, Inc.  Hopefully, most will make a complete recorvery.  However, in some cases complications may occur:

Reactive Arthritis is the name used to describe an uncommon, but potentially debilitating group of symptoms that follows a gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or viral infection.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one disorder in a spectrum of common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Symptoms of IBS can include constipation, diarrhea, alternating diarrhea and constipation, abdominal pain, urgency, bloating, straining at stools, and a sense of incomplete evacuation.

Post-diarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome (D+HUS) is a severe, life-threatening complication that occurs in about 10 percent of those infected with E. coli O157:H7 or other Shiga toxin- (Stx-) producing E. coli.

Full post as published by e.Coli Blog on March 28, 2011 (boomark / email).