The E. coli bacteria are tiny living organisms that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Under a microscope they appear as a small rod. Every human and nearly all animal species contain billions of these bacteria in their intestinal tracts (children, adults, animals such as cows, goats, chickens, dogs etc.).
While most strains of E. coli are harmless, and actually assist the digestion process and the production of Vitamin K; some strains produce toxins in the stomach which can lead to severe diarrhea or bloody stools, nausea/vomiting, and extreme abdominal pains.
In 1885 Dr. Theodor Escherich identified the E. coli bacteria in children’s feces. Therefore, the scientific community combined Escherich (the scientist who first described the bacteria) with coli (the Latin word for “colon” or “intestine”) to create the term Escherichia coli. Scientists simply refer to it as E. coli.
Friendly E. coli → lives in harmony in your intestines each day. You need them!
Bad E. coli → only a few strains are harmful. The most deadly strain is called STEC (Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli). There is also an especially notorious form of E. coli known as E. coli O157:H7. This strain produces a particularly potent toxin called Shiga toxin.
How do you get the bad E. coli?
You accidentally consume the bad bacteria. Only 10–100 E. coli bacteria are required to cause illness!
Here are some ways that you may become infected:
1. Consuming undercooked chicken or lamb (pink meat).
2. Raw chicken juices touch salads, bread or your hands.
3. Drinking contaminated water or consuming golgappas/pani-puris made with contaminated water.
4. Eating unwashed vegetables which were irrigated with water containing cow manure.
5. Touching animals and not washing your hands prior to eating.
Why does chicken provide E. coli diarrhea?
Although chicken itself typically contains relatively low levels of dangerous E. coli within its digestive tract (in contrast to Salmonella); many slaughter houses kill both cows and chickens in the same area, cow dung contains a high concentration of dangerous E. coli, and therefore, the E. coli contaminates the chicken.
Additionally, butchers leave chicken outside in temperatures between 35–40 degrees Celsius and the bacteria multiply 10 fold in one to two hours.
Once you purchase chicken which has been left out too long, there is often a considerable amount of juice that has accumulated on the chicken which spills onto vegetables which are eaten raw in salads, thus infecting you.
Symptoms – how you feel when E. coli attacks:
Days 1–3 after consuming contaminated food:
Loose motion (wet stool) occurs 10–20 times per day
Abdominal pain (your stomach feels twisted)
Nausea/vomiting
Fever (99–101 F)
Weakness
Days 4–5 (in severe cases):
Blood is present in the stool (appears red/black)
Reduced urine output (kidney failure begins)
Swollen face and legs
At this point it is referred to as HUS (Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome), mostly occurring in young children and older individuals.
Duration of the disease:
Mild cases → 5–10 days, the body successfully fights off the disease
Severe cases → 2–3 weeks, requires hospitalization and dialysis.
Treatment – What to do at home
Drink ORS (every 15–20 min) (available at shop or homemade: 1 liter of clean water + 6 teaspoons of sugar + ½ teaspoon of salt).
Consume bananas, rice water, curd-rice, khichdi, boiled potatoes – quickly stops loose motions.
Take a Zinc Tablet (20 mg once daily for 14 days) – approximately ₹30–40.
Rest a great deal.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT TAKE LOOSE MOTION STOP TABLETS (LOMOTIL, IMODIUM) WITHOUT CONSULTING A DOCTOR. These tablets prevent the poison produced by the E. coli O157 from exiting the body and can accelerate kidney failure.
When to rush to the hospital:
Presence of blood in stool
Not urinating for 8–10 hours
Sleepy/confused child
Fever >102°F
Your Doctor will perform a stool test and if needed provide an intravenous drip and/or antibiotics (certain antibiotics are effective against E. coli).
Prevention – Never getting E. coli again:
Follow the 7 Golden Rules (especially related to chicken):
Only purchase sealed packaging chicken (Venky’s, Godrej, Zorabian) from large stores or online.
Do Not purchase loose chicken exposed to heat.
Store chicken in freezer or bottom shelf of refrigerator.
Cook Chicken until it is entirely white and the juice is clear (temperature of 75°C).
Use One Red Color Chopping Board and Knife for Raw Chicken. Use Hot Water & Detergent & Dettol to Clean.
Do Not wash raw chicken in the Sink — splashing water will spread the bacteria.
Wash Hands using Soap for 20 Seconds After Handling Raw Chicken.
Additional Tips:
Only drink Boiled or RO Water.
Wash Vegetables with Salt & Vinegar Solution.
Steer Clear of Raw Sprouts and Street Pani-Puri.
How to Completely Stop E. coli Infection from Chicken (100% Effective if Followed):
Interesting facts about E. coli:
E. coli could turn into 10 crores of bacteria in 7-8 hours in a room!
Researchers use safe E. coli in laboratories to develop lifesaving medications such as Insulin for diabetics.
There was an E. coli outbreak in America in 1993 with undercooked burgers; 4 kids died & there were over 700 people sickened — after that everybody has been properly cooking their meats.
The final message to you:
If you get diarrhea each time you eat chicken, it is most likely due to bacterial contamination (either Salmonella, Campylobacter, or E. coli). You do not need to stop eating chicken. What you should do is purchase chicken that is fresh, store it properly, and cook it properly.
Just three simple actions will save you completely:
Only Buy Chicken That Is Packed
Cook Your Chicken Until It Is White Inside (No Pink)
Separate Raw And Cooked Food
Try these three steps for 30 days — you will be able to eat Butter Chicken, Tandoori, Gravy Every Week Without A Single Loose Motion.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy And Keep Your Stomach Happy!