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One person has died and 10 have been hospitalised in the US due to an E.coli infection after eating McDonald’s burgers.
While the source of the infection is not known yet, the fast food giant has stopped serving quarter pound patties and slivered onions in several US states. Both ingredients are primarily used in the burger.
No. The outbreak is restricted to 10 states in the United States. However, E.coli, which causes gastrointestinal symptoms, is not uncommon in India. It spreads through contaminated food and water. “We usually see cases during the summer and rainy seasons, when there is an increase in gastrointestinal infections in general,” said Dr Atul Gogia, senior consultant of internal medicine at Sir Ganga Ram hospital, New Delhi.
Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant of internal medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, said: “Among gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections, E.coli is one of the most common pathogens.”
More than 500 outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases were reported across India in 2023, according to the National Centre for Disease Control.
E.coli is the most common bacteria isolated from patient samples, according to the latest report of ICMR’s Antimicrobial Surveillance Network. The pathogen was found in 23.19% of all types of patient samples from tertiary care hospitals across India, where the surveillance is carried out.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on creating a network of 34 microbiology labs across the country that will test food products for 10 pathogens, including E.coli, salmonella, and listeria. Tests for microbial contamination were missing from most state food safety laboratories in the country.
The most common symptoms of E.coli infection include fever of more than 102 degree F, persistent diarrhoea, bloody diarrhoea, and vomiting. The main problem, however, is dehydration due to the inability of the patient to retain water and fluids.
In very few cases, people may get acute kidney injury.
How is it treated?
E.coli is a bacterial infection for which antibiotics are prescribed. Doctors emphasise that medicines should not be taken without consultation.
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics leads to antimicrobial resistance and further difficulty in treating common infections. For example, E.coli’s susceptibility to even strong antibiotics, such as carbapenem, has been on the decline, reducing from 81.4% in 2017 to 62.7% in 2023 to one type of medicine in this category.
When should you go to a doctor?
You must go to a doctor if you have had diarrhoea for more than a couple of days; you have to visit the toilet every half hour to an hour; you have bloody diarrhoea; you vomit frequently; and are unable to retain any water and fluids.
