Situation and vulnerability
Young children, the elderly and immunocompromised need special attention. Food, water, and animal or human contact can transmit infection.
Signs and limits of their interpretation
Abdominal cramps and sometimes bloody diarrhea are possible. A decrease in urine, pallor, bruising or decreased alertness may indicate an urgent complication.
Diagnosis and monitoring
Identification of the type of E. coli and toxins is important. Specify exposures and provide complete results; "E. coli" alone does not describe all infections.
Check these markers in the CDC reference →
Prevention and care
Bloody diarrhea requires medical advice. Do not start with antibiotics or antidiarrhoeal drugs on your own initiative: CDCs report an increased risk of complications in a STEC infection.
Practical issues
Does any bacterial diarrhea need to be given an antibiotic?
No: in STEC infections, CDCs do not recommend antibiotics because of the risk of hemolytic and uremic syndrome. The care must be medically guided.
Preparing for an exchange with a professional
- Blood in the stool and number of urine
- Food and animal contact
- Medicinal products taken before diagnosis
Bring the full minutes and dates. This information facilitates evaluation; its collection must not delay an urgent appeal.
Image generated by artificial intelligence. AI illustration; it does not depict a disease, biological agent or diagnosis.
Organize my dates, documents and questions →
Related fact sheets
These sheets share ways or contexts of exhibition in our catalogue. This reconciliation does not establish a differential diagnosis.
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Nipah Virus Infection
- Taeniasis and cysticercosis
- Anthrax
- Brucellosis
- Campylobacteriosis
Compare Infection with Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli with associated plugs →
Return to directory file →