Message Number: SG15161 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Steve Austin
Date: 2005-08-25 03:43:37 UTC
Subject: eCOLI
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20050824.234341.3548.95.kazpat1@juno.com>

You are right.

E. Coli is a bacteria that is mostly found in the GI tract of living
beings.

The bacteria can be found in us all, but some forms are more invasive
than others.
We are in a good relationship with our own gut bacteria most of the time,
and
no problems. We get another strain we are not used to, or we ingest the
bacteria,
or the one in our gut gets into the Urinary tract,
or into our blood it can be serious. Premature infants are one group at
high risk.

The bacteria is in cow stools (just like we have it in ours),
they poop and it gets on the ground , on their skin.
They are killed, the slaughter house not so clean, it gets on the meat
and packaged
and sent our way. It stays on the outside of the meat which you can just
sear and
probably kill , but with chopped meat it
is ground all into it. If it is not cooked well, and we eat it and can
get sick.
young children much more at risk. A particular strain
(0157:H7) is much more dangerous, has a toxin it releases, and
was linked to some deaths, and certain restuarants now will refuse to
serve a burger
unless cooked well done. Thus the well known warnings everywhere about
hamburger meat.
Not all slaughter houses are contaminated, not all cow meat has the
bacteria. But we can't tell
by just smelling the meat or looking at it, so the warnings are out there
for everyone.

It is also on the skin of farm animals, mostly cows.
Children go to petting zoos, fairs, farms,
get some on their hands, don't wash, put hands in their mouths and you
get the picture.
So recently, petting zoos have been linked to some children getting very
ill from this bacterium.

Certain veggies can also get this bug on them ( from contamination ),
depends on how they are grown, shipped, cleaned,etc Raw milk, potatoes,
are also potential sources.

Not all animals are going to be sick like humans are. I don't know that
this bacteria is dangerous
to ferrets, let's say. no clue on that one. But, also if they do get
the bug from eating some food,
they probably can pass it on to us, even if they are not ill. So, again,
makes sense to wash hands
well after cleaning litter boxes and after handling animals, before
cooking meals, etc.

Patty

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 22:38:03 EDT Lavisferrt@cs.com writes:
> As far as I know eColi is from a germ that is carried from one animal
> to next
> and people or animals don't have to eat meat to get it> My friend
> lived on a
> fram got eColi and almost died from it. Carol L.

End of ferrethealth Digest
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