Escherichia Coli

People eat food every day typically without a problem. Although generally this is the result, in certain instances food poisoning develops. According to the Center for disease control (CDC), “in 2008 there were 1, 034 food born disease outbreaks” (CDC, 2011, para. 2) that resulted in sickness. Usually an individual will know if food poisoning develops. Food poisoning can cause excruciating stomach pain, uncontrollable vomiting, and annoying diarrhea. In some cases can even lead to death. In 2008 CDC statistics stated that “22 people died” (CDC. 2011 para. 2). In regard to good sense this is a relatively small number of deaths, striking is the number of reported illnesses from the outbreaks. According to the CDC “more than 23,000 people got sick during these outbreaks” (CDC, 2011, para. 2). Undoubtedly numerous food poisoning cases go undocumented. Escherichia coli (E. coli) are one bacteria agent responsible for food poisoning. So what is E. coli? What are the clinical symptoms of E. coli? What happens in an outbreak? Certainly all these questions need to be understood. Above all else Escherichia coli is preventable by taking individual and precautionary measures.
All E. coli share a similar anatomy and residences prior to infection. An E. coli bacterium is approximately three microns in length excluding the flagellum. Also featured in E. coli anatomy is D.N.A, cytoplasm, and the cell membrane. Usually E. coli can be found in the intestinal track humans where they reside doing no harm to humans (WebMD, 2011). In fact E. coli aids in the digestive process (CDC, 2011). However there are some strains of E. coli that do harm.
There are three similar strains of E. coli bacteria responsible for different clinical symptoms. Those are Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC), Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli