Types of Infections

E. Coli

What is EHEC?

Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli, or EHEC, is a type of Escherichia coli (E. coli). E. coli is a bacteria that is common in the guts of humans and other warm blooded animals. While most forms of E. coli are harmless, there are a few strains that can cause very serious foodborne illness. EHEC is one of the types that can cause serious illness. EHEC were first identified as a public health risk in the early 1980s and one of the factors responsible for the illness caused by EHEC is the ability of these organisms to produce a toxin that is very similar to the toxin produced by Shigella (the causative agent of the illness dysentery). Note that other terms for this same group of bacteria include Shiga Toxin-producing E. Coli (STEC) or verocytotoxic E. coli (VTEC). These all generally refer to the same group of microorganisms.

Symptoms of the diseases caused by EHEC include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that may in some cases be bloody diarrhoea (hemorrhagic colitis). Fever and vomiting may also occur. The incubation period can range from three to eight days. Most patients recover within 10 days. However in a small proportion of patients, particularly young children and the elderly, infection with EHEC can lead to a far more serious illness. The infection may lead to a life-threatening disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is characterized by acute kidney failure. It is estimated that up to 10% of patients with EHEC infection may develop HUS. HUS has a fatality rate that ranged from 3% to 5%. Overall, HUS is the most common cause of acute renal failure in young children. It can cause neurological complications (such as seizure, stroke and coma) in 25% of HUS patients. In those that survive HUS about 50% of them can experience chronic long-term renal problems. (Source: World Health Organization)Learn more

MRSA

What is MRSA?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a variant of the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Often called simply &"staph,”common Staphylococcus aureus is found in the nose or on the skin of about 20 percent of healthy people. It responds to many antibiotics, and infections with these bacteria can be treated effectively. However, infections with the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus can be virulent and hard to treat because this strain of the bacteria is resistant to methicillin and other commonly prescribed antibiotics.

 

MRSA infections are most common in hospital patients who have undergone invasive medical treatments or whose immune systems are compromised. Another means of infection, known as &"community acquired” MRSA infections, also can occur. Community-acquired infections are most common where open skin abrasions and/or close skin-to-skin contact are prevalent, or where hygiene items such as towels and razors are shared, including among athletes engaged in contact sports and people living in very close quarters, such as dormitories, military barracks or prisons. Good personal hygiene and proper surface disinfection are critical to reducing the risk of community-acquired MRSA infections.

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H1N1

What is H1N1?

Influenza A (H1N1) is a virus subtype of influenza that affects human beings. Because this strain of influenza has never before infected human beings, most people have little to no immunity to it. Therefore, this virus could cause more infections than other forms of influenza or &"seasonal flu.” 
 
Initial cases of the illness were called &"swine flu” because many of the genes in the new virus were very similar to type A influenza viruses that occur in pigs in North America. True swine flu rarely infects human beings, and spread of such infections from person to person is limited. Further laboratory testing has shown that the virus that causes 2009 H1N1 flu is &"very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus contains genes from flu viruses typically found in pigs in Europe and Asia, as well as genes from avian (bird) flu and human flu viruses.  
 
Despite the laboratory tests that have identified 2009 H1N1 flu as a distinct virus, and not caused by the swine influenza virus, some media reports still refer to the illness as &"swine flu.”  In August 2009, the World Health Organization began referring to the 2009 H1N1 influenza as &"novel H1N1 virus.”Learn more

Norovirus

What is Norovirus?

Noroviruses are a group of related micro-organisms in the family Caliciviridae that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. Noroviruses can cause symptoms typically known as “stomach flu,” but the viruses are unrelated to the micro-organisms that cause seasonal influenza or other influenza, including the 2009 H1N1 flu (so-called swine flu). Symptoms from Noroviruses also are sometimes called food poisoning, although there are other causes of food poisoning that can be unrelated to Noroviruses, and people do not necessarily have to eat contaminated food to contract Norovirus-related illnesses.

 

Although Norovirus-related illnesses are usually not serious, they cause a significant amount of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Those symptoms can make it difficult for some people to maintain sufficient fluids, and those individuals can become dehydrated. The viruses are very contagious and can spread rapidly, particularly in community settings such as nursing homes and day care facilities. The virus is most commonly spread on people’s hands and on contaminated surfaces. Frequent, thorough handwashing and proper surface disinfection are critical to preventing norovirus contamination and to stemming its spread within a facility where it does occur.

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