EHEC – What is it?

Introduction

The abbreviation EHEC stands for “enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli”. This is a form of bacteria that is mainly found in the intestines of cattle, sheep, goats, deer or roe deer. The bacteria are able to produce various toxins, but this does not pose any danger to the animals.

However, the transmission of such toxins to humans can cause severe gastrointestinal problems. In particularly severe cases, the bacteria can cause life-threatening intestinal infections. In Germany, the EHEC pathogen spread rapidly and dangerously in 2011. Everything about the bacterium Escherichia coli can be found here: Escherichia coli

What are the causes of EHEC infection?

Many millions of Escheria Coli bacteria can be found in the human intestinal flora. These bacteria belong to the natural intestinal flora and have important functions for the body. EHEC infections are caused by a special strain of the bacterium Escheria coli (E. coli), which does not occur in the natural intestinal flora of humans. This special strain can only be found in ruminants, which can excrete the bacteria in their faeces. The causes of an infection are then accordingly contact with the bacteria via food, contaminated water, contaminated objects or, in the case of small children, direct contact with the animals.

The transmission path is as follows

The transmission path of the bacteria begins with the excretion of the bacterium via the faeces. The enterohaemorrhagic Escheria coli can survive in the environment for a very long time and are therefore still infectious for humans even after several weeks. A direct transmission route can be from animal to human.

Since the animals may still be contaminated with a few traces of faeces, the EHEC pathogen can be easily transmitted through contact with the animals. Especially for children, playing on meadows where ruminants are kept is a source of infection. A further transmission route can occur through food.

If, for example, vegetables are fertilized with liquid manure, the bacteria can be transmitted to the food in this way, leading to possible infection. However, insufficiently heated food or meat eaten raw can also lead to infection with the EHEC pathogen. The bacterium can also be easily transmitted from person to person.

People who have become infected with the EHEC bacterium also excrete the pathogen via the stool. Thus, an infection can also occur by touching the stool of an affected person. However, in order for the bacterium to show its actual pathological effect in humans, the bacterium must enter the inside of the body. This usually happens when you put your hand in your mouth, as is often the case with children, or when the pathogen is transferred from your own hand to food, which then enters the mouth and finally the stomach and intestines. This transmission route can be prevented by hand disinfection.