How could E. coli Bacteria Infect You?

3 D Escherichia coli (Photo Credit: (Illustrators) Alissa Eckert and Jennifer Oosthuizen/CDC.gov)

I was thinking about to cook spaghetti sauce with ground beef, added some button mushrooms and basil for my supper, and I need to go buy those stuffs in grocery store. 

A couple minute in my way headed to the closest grocery store in my neighborhood, I remembered that the local radio talked about recalled ground beef that suspected has been contaminated with the E.coli.

E.coli infection occurs in 10 states and there are about 190 cases. Thanks Lord, no one get killed. 

So far, the ground beef from two companies have been recalled because laboratory testing of ground beef from these companies spotted the outbreak strain of E. coli O103. This strain is acquired Shiga-toxin.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can cause a person get sick, usually for three to four days after intake the contaminated food. 

The symptoms are watery diarrhea that often with blood (hemorrage colitis), severe stomach cramps, little or no fever, vomitting, and may lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). 

HUS is a disorder that characterized by acute renal failure and thrombocytopenia.

There are some points from CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that I can keep in my mind to prevent from E. coli: 
- Cook ground beef thoroughly; 

- An internal temperature to cook ground beef is 160˚F; 

- Avoid to eat raw or under-cooked ground beef;

-  After cook ground beef do not forget to refrigerate within 2 hours, then can be used within 3 to 4 days; 

- Wash hand with soapy water after touching ground beef; 

- Clean utensil, counter-top, and cutting board thoroughly with soap and hot water or using bleach solution.

The most important is never eat recalled ground beef. 

No Spaghetti with Ground Beef Today

I am not going to take a risk. It will be awful to have diarrhea and stomach cramps that cause me back and forth to toilet or restroom.

This infection also leads to hemolytic uremic syndrome which is so painful. I just avoid the ground beef in a while.

So my spaghetti have no sauce today. It turned into spaghetti with shrimps, and I added some asparagus, lemon juice, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese.