ONTARIO: Important information on E. coli O157:H7

11.nov.08
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit

The best way to prevent the spread of E. coli O157: H7 to others is to:
* Wash hands thoroughly, using soap and hot running water, before any food contact,
and after any toileting or changing of diapers.
* Use a nailbrush and soap under hot running water to clean under fingernails. Rinse
thoroughly.
* Have separate towels for sick people.
* Clean bathroom taps, toilets, and doorknobs at least once every day with an
antiseptic cleaner such as bleach and water (1 part bleach to 10 parts water). Even
better would be a separate bathroom for the sick person.
* Wash clothes, especially underclothes, in hot water and dry in a hot dryer for at
least half an hour. If the
clothes cannot be put in the dryer, dry in direct sunshine.
Facts about E. coli O157:H7: 
* Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 may include diarrhea (which may become bloody), a
fever, may have vomiting and stomach cramps. If someone has symptoms and are ill
they should go to their health care provider or to the hospital emergency room.
Symptoms usually last 5 to 10 days.
* E. coli is not spread to others before you have symptoms (anywhere from one to 10
days after consuming E. coli)
* After you get symptoms, E. coli O157:H7 can be spread from person to person (for
example, by hand to mouth contact through improper hand washing after using the
toilet)
* After symptoms are done - usually from seven to ten days - an adult can still
spread the bacteria for up to one week and children for up to three weeks 
* Adults with E. coli O157:H7 or E. coli-like symptoms should not use recreational
water venues, such as pools, for two weeks after symptoms are gone and four weeks
for children, unless laboratory test is negative 
* People who have been ill with E. coli O157:H7 should not return to work until they
are 48 hours symptom-free and all employers should remind staff that if they are ill
they should not be working. 
For people who work in a daycare, school or health care facility, it is important to
get a doctor's note stating that lab results are negative before returning to work. 
* Generally, E. coli O157: H7 must run its course. Most people recover without
treatment. Antibiotics and antidiarrheal medicines, like loperamide (Imodium®), are
not recommended and may increase the risk of complications. If a person is ill, they
may require intervenous fluids at the hospital.
* Handwashing (when)
Frequent handwashing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of
communicable diseases.
It is especially important to wash your hands: before making or eating food; before
and after changing contact lenses; when hands are visibly dirty; after you use the
bathroom; after coughing or blowing your nose; after changing diapers; after playing
with animals; more frequently when someone is at home sick.
* Handwashing (how)
Proper hand washing may eliminate nearly half of all cases of foodborne illness and
significantly reduce the spread of the common cold and flu. Use an alcohol-based
handrub when your hands are not visibly soiled. 
Wash you hands with soap and water when your hands are visibly soiled.
4 Simple Steps to Handwashing
1. Wet your hands with warm running water and apply liquid soap.
2. Rub your hands vigorously together scrubbing all surfaces for 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Rinse well under warm running water for a count of five.
4. Dry hands thoroughly with a paper towel.
Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer
1. Apply a quarter size amount of sanitizer on the palm of your hand.
2. Rub hands, covering all surfaces of the hands and fingers including under your
nails for 15 seconds or until hands feel dry, whichever is longest.
* Keep Sick Children Away
Children who are ill should not be allowed in the class while contagious to others.
Please refer to the "Reporting and Exclusion Guidelines for Schools/Daycares"
document for the Health Unit's recommendations regarding disease-specific exclusion
guidelines.
Please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Communicable Disease
Control Program at (705) 474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808 for further information or visit
our website at www.healthunit.biz.