What complications can occur? | EHEC – What is it?

What complications can occur?

Probably the most serious complication that can be caused by an enterohaemorrhagic Escheria coli infection is the haemorrhagic syndrome (HU syndrome). Here, the toxins of the EHEC bacterium attack the red blood cells, causing them to perish, which can lead to anemia. In addition, the blood vessel walls and the thrombocytes are also severely affected, which leads to an increased bleeding tendency.

These complications can be checked by means of simple symptoms. For example, the person affected feels very weak, tired and pale in the face and extremities due to the anemia. Due to the injury to vessels and destruction of the thrombocytes, small and also larger hematomas occur, which have developed without direct external influences.

In particularly severe cases, the kidney is also affected, so that little or no fluid can be excreted through the urine. This can cause two complications. On the one hand, the blood can no longer be detoxified, making external detoxification in the form of dialysis necessary. If the toxins cannot be excreted through the urine or otherwise, this can also lead to severe confusion or even seizures. In addition, the reduced water excretion can lead to water retention, especially in the legs.

Is there a vaccination?

There is no general vaccine available for the EHEC bacterium.The production of the vaccine against enterohaemorrhagic Escheria coli is considered controversial. This is due to the fact that the disease-causing bacterium is constantly changing. Although it still causes the same disease, the genes change in such a way that a previously manufactured vaccine becomes useless and a new vaccine would have to be developed accordingly. This is associated with high costs and does not promise any guaranteed efficacy.

What is a permanent separator?

Persons who continue to reproduce and excrete bacteria or viruses after infection for more than ten weeks are called permanent eliminators. This means that those affected still excrete the bacteria or viruses even though the symptoms of the disease have already disappeared. Because the bacteria or viruses are still excreted by the person affected, the bowel movements or, in some cases, the vomit are still infected and therefore contagious. Special caution is required in such cases, as the person affected is usually unaware of the risk of infection.