Latest news with #EColi
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Toddler, 2, left fighting for life after holiday swim as she was infected with THREE strains of deadly bacteria
Elizabeth is now on dialysis and has been medically paralysed to give her the best shot at recovery 'NIGHTMARE' Toddler, 2, left fighting for life after holiday swim as she was infected with THREE strains of deadly bacteria Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LITTLE Elizabeth Faircloth was left fighting for her life after contracting three strains of deadly E. coli. Doctors now fear the two-year-old may suffer permanent brain or kidney damage after the infection ravaged her tiny body. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Elizabeth Faircloth (pictured), 2, was left fighting for her life after she contracted three strains of E. coli Credit: GoFundMe 2 Elizabeth's family shared heartbreaking photos of their daughter hooked up to breathing tubes Credit: GoFundMe "It blows our minds because we've never even heard of anything like this ever happening," Suzanne Faircloth, the girl's mum, said. Elizabeth had been swimming and boating at Oklahoma's Keystone Lake with her family in early June when she started feeling unwell. At first, doctors thought it was strep throat and gave her antibiotics. But the meds only aggravated the infection, the mum told KOTV. Some time later, the family were told Elizabeth had tested positive for three different strains of E. coli bacteria. This led to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) - a rare life-threatening complication from E. coli. It can cause severe kidney failure, liver damage, and brain injury. "It's a nightmare," Suzanne said. "And it happened so fast, within like a week, we're here." The toddler is now on dialysis and has been medically paralysed to give her the best shot at recovery, according to her aunt Melissa Lynne. This means doctors have used drugs to temporarily stop her muscles from moving, helping her body rest while she fights the infection. Melissa wrote in a social media post last week that Elizabeth's kidneys have been 'most severely' impacted. Food Standards Agency explains E Coli 'Although the prognosis is hopeful, it will be a very long battle to get her well again, and it's uncertain if she will ever recover 100 per cent or if there will be permanent kidney and/or brain damage," she added. Elizabeth is also now battling an infection in her lungs, but doctors can't give her antibiotics as it could worsen her condition, the family said in a Facebook post on Monday. "They are working night and day, the staff is amazing, just to keep her stable,' Suzanne added. 'It kind of feels like you're drowning and you get brief moments of air just enough to keep you alive, but there's no end in sight." The family have launched a GoFundMe in Elizabeth's name, which has so far raised $8,248 (£6.6K) of its $10K goal (£8K). What are the symptoms of an E. coli infection? Escherichia coli O157, sometimes called STEC (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli), is a bacterial infection that can cause severe stomach pain, bloody diarrhoea and kidney failure. The NHS lists the symptoms as: Diarrhoea Stomach cramps Occasionally fever About half of people with the infection will have bloody diarrhoea. People usually notice symptoms three to four days after they' ve been infected. But symptoms can start any time between one and 14 days afterwards. These symptoms can last up to two weeks. A small number of people with E. coli O157 infection go on to develop a serious condition called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include: Peeing less Tiredness Swelling Bruising This can sometimes lead to kidney failure and death, although this is rare. The risk of HUS is highest in children aged under five years. Some people become infected but don't develop symptoms. Speak to your GP if you or your child has diarrhoea and: It's particularly frequent or severe It lasts for more than seven days A severe or continuous stomach ache Weight loss Have passed a large amount of very watery diarrhoea Have signs of dehydration – including drowsiness, peeing less than usual, and feeling lightheaded or dizzy If you or your child has bloody diarrhoea contact your GP practice and ask for an urgent appointment or call NHS 111 '[We] just can't imagine another child fighting for their life or parents living through this hell, when we could have warned families,' they wrote. 'Stay vigilant parents and get your kids in early if symptoms arise after a lake day.' 'The faster you get your kids in, the better the odds.'
CNET
7 days ago
- Health
- CNET
You're Probably Not Washing Your Towels as Often as You Should
When it comes to chores, cleaning the bathroom is usually a pretty high priority. But even when we clean the bathroom often, it's easy to overlook less visibly dirty items -- like bath towels. Even though your bathroom towels may look clean, they could be holding massive amounts of bacteria and germs. Here's everything to know about how often you should wash your bath towels to keep them in tip-top shape. Plus, the best temperature for getting them the cleanest. Why do you need to clean your bath towels so often? When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing. LG's WashTower functions as one combined washer and dryer unit. LG When should you reuse or wash bathroom towels? Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be washed. That's "times" not "days." If you have many family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed on the third or fourth use. The condition of the person using the towel matters, too. If they're sick, toss it in the laundry after one use. If it's flu season, it's best for every family member to have their own towel -- even if they aren't exhibiting symptoms -- to prevent the potential spread of germs. How often you wash towels also depends on how they're dried after usage. If towels find themselves on the floor, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 1:37 Loaded : 6.27% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:37 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent What temperature is best for washing bath towels? The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns. And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don't. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.
CNET
03-06-2025
- General
- CNET
Clean or Contaminated? The Best Time To Wash Your Bath Towels
Cleaning ourselves comes as a no-brainer for most. It is deeply ingrained in us that in order to eliminate germs, it's best to bathe or take a shower often. But that habitual mindset doesn't always translate when determining when we should wash our bath towels. There are ongoing debates about when's the best time to change your toothbrush and how often you should clean your bathroom, but no one really stresses the proper etiquette for clean bath towels. If you're intrigued like me, go down this rabbit hole to get to the bottom of this hunch. Trust me, if you believe you're washing your towels enough, reports would beg to differ. Why is proper towel maintenance important? When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing. Read More: Want to Clean Your Bathroom in 10 Minutes or Less? Here's How LG's WashTower will function as one combined washer and dryer unit. LG When should you reuse or wash? There are some variables regarding how often you should wash your towels. Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be tossed in the hamper. Now notice, I said "times" not "days." So if you have multiple family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed on the third or fourth use. Also, the condition of the person using the towel matters too. If they're sick, toss it in the laundry after one use. If it's flu season, it's best that every family member have their own towel -- even if they aren't exhibiting symptoms -- to prevent the potential spread of germs. How often you wash towels also depends on how they're dried after usage. If towels find themselves on the floor, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room. Downy brought in a dog to add some cuteness to its mystery-celebrity Super Bowl ads. Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET What temperature is best for washing? The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns. And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don't. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.
The Irish Sun
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
I got a horrifying 7-year infection after my boyfriend farted in my face – docs were stunned when they looked up my nose
A WOMAN says she was left with a seven-year infection after her boyfriend farted in her face. Though the pair parted ways, Christine Connell was plagued by a 7 Christine Connell claims she got a sinus infection after her boyfriend farted in her face 7 Her partner let rip while getting ready for bed in front of her Credit: Instagram @christinexploring 7 The cause of her persistent infection left doctors stumped for years Credit: Getty She traced her symptoms back to a fateful night spent in a hotel room. Christine was lying in bed recovering from knee surgery when her boyfriend The content creator claims she's been battling sinus infections in the seven years since. But she didn't think to connect her health issues to the gassy incident until doctors took a culture sample from her nose. Read more on E. coli Sinus infections are inflammation of the sinuses - cavities in the nose, cheeks and forehead - and are common after a cold or a bout of flu. They can be caused by a virus and tend to clear up on their own in a matter of weeks, though they can linger for longer if caused by bacteria or a fungus. Christine - known as @christinexploring online - said "I've had a persistent sinus infection ever since he and I stayed in a hotel one night after I had surgery and he farted terribly." Most read in Health "I couldn't breathe," Christine added, saying she'd "There's not anything that even compares to that." Food Standards Agency explains E Coli Christine grappled with constant sinus infections - which cause facial pain, a stuffy nose, thick green snot and fever - in the years afterwards. She even had a barrage of tests and scans to try to get to the bottom of it. But her doctors - including four ear, nose and throat specialists - seemed unable to figure out the cause of her infection. The travel influencer took to TikTok to reveal the results of her sinus tests, in a clip captioned "I wish I were joking". 7 Tests revealed Christine's sinuses were colonised with 7 'You usually don't get in your sinuses because is from poop,' Christine said Credit: TikTok @christinexploring "It is she announced. Escherichia coli - most often referred to as - is a group of bacteria that normally lives in the gut without causing harm. But some strains can make people sick, causing gut and urinary tract infections. infections happen when you ingest bacteria from poop that are too small to see, whether through eating contaminated foods and drinks, touching germ-laden surfaces or not washing your hands properly after using the loo. What are the symptoms of Most strains are harmless but some can cause serious food poisoning. That is the case with Shiga toxin-producing ( Some people who are exposed to STEC do not become ill. Others develop stomach cramps and bloody diarrhoea. Symptoms can also include vomiting, fever, and chills. In severe cases, the infection can damage organs, such as the kidneys. Symptoms can appear anywhere from one to ten days after exposure but usually appear around three to four days after exposure. Most of those affected by the bug will get better without treatment within a week. Sufferers are advised to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Are you at risk of getting it? People can become infected by: Eating contaminated food Contact with infected animals either directly or through inadvertent contact with animal faeces, for example at farms, petting farms and campsites Contact with other people who have the illness (through inadequate hand hygiene after using the toilet, before food handling - particularly in households, nurseries, infant schools, or both Drinking water from inadequately treated water supplies Swimming or playing in contaminated water such as ponds or streams STEC are very infectious because very few bacteria are needed to cause illness. This means that disease can spread easily within families and in other settings such as day nurseries, primary schools, nursing homes and hospitals where there are young children and others who might have difficulty keeping clean. How can you protect yourself from STEC? An STEC infection can be prevented by taking the following precautions: Cook all minced meat products (burgers, meatloaf, meatballs) thoroughly, until the colour is the same all the way through, and no blood runs from them Ensure refrigerators are working correctly - bacteria grow more quickly at temperatures over 4 o C Only leave cooked foods, meat and dairy products out at room temperature for a short time Store uncooked meats below-cooked meats and salad vegetables to avoid dripping juices onto ready-to-eat food Store uncooked and cooked meats on different plates, and avoid all contact between raw and cooked meats Thoroughly wash all salad vegetables and do not prepare them with utensils that have also been used for raw meat Children and the elderly who are particularly susceptible to the severe effects of STEC should avoid eating or drinking unpasteurised dairy products People who have been ill should not prepare food for others for at least 48 hours after they have recovered Boil any drinking water if you are unsure of its source Do not swim in water that you think may be contaminated by cattle and sheep in nearby fields Wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet (or helping others including changing nappies), handling raw meat, before meals and after contact with animals Source: PHE + USCDC "You usually don't get in your sinuses because is from poop," Christine said. "So I don't know, how does that get in your sinuses unless you have a boyfriend who farts disgustingly and you are forced to inhale it because you are immobile after ankle surgery?" next to hers. "He was not clothed and standing between the two beds," she said. "His butt was facing me and that is when the fart happened." Christine stressed that "he was not intending to fart in my face, he was just getting in bed and [her] face happened to be in the path of the fart that was released". When I say it was the worst fart I have ever smelled in my life, I truly mean that Christine Connell She went on: "I had just had ankle surgery that I was recovering from, so I imagine that my "Maybe in another circumstance, if I had been healthy, it wouldn't have happened. "And also, when I say it was the worst fart I have ever smelled in my life, I truly mean that. "So, I think there were just a lot of factors combined that made this possible." But Christine added that her bizarre ordeal was "definitely rare". "I think it's actually more common to get pink eye from someone farting in your face," she said. Can you really get from farts? 7 Professor Franklin Joseph said it wasn't really possible to get E. coli from farts Credit: Getty In the comments of her initial video, Christine acknowledged that the poo bacteria could have entered her sinuses some other way, during the surgery she'd just undergone, for example. One viewer pointed out that is a common cause of nosocomial sinusitis, which is sinusitis that develops in a hospital setting. "The infections often occur after medical procedures like nasal intubation or nasogastric tubing," they wrote, to which Christine replied: "I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse." Professor Franklin Joseph, consultant physician, head of Dr Frank's Clinic, shared his thoughts on the clip. He told Sun Health: "While it certainly makes for an eye-catching TikTok, the idea of developing a sinus infection from someone passing gas is, scientifically speaking, extremely unlikely." The doctor - who shares health advice on his own TikTok - added: " is a type of bacteria that lives naturally in the gut and is commonly passed through contaminated food, water or direct faecal contact - but not through air in the way flatulence works. "The gas itself doesn't carry bacteria. "For to reach the sinuses, it would need to travel through a direct route such as via the bloodstream or through contaminated hands or objects coming into contact with the nasal passages - not from breathing in someone's flatulence in a hotel room. "That said, finding in the sinuses is rare but not impossible. "In immunocompromised patients or following trauma or poor hygiene, unusual bacteria can occasionally colonise areas where they don't belong. "But it's far more likely this individual's sinus infection had a more conventional cause - and the result was a surprising secondary finding, not the origin story. "Ultimately, while this story has gone viral for its shock value, it's not something the average person should be concerned about. "You can share a room - or even a bed - with someone and not worry about developing a seven-year sinus infection from their digestive habits." 7 Christine's since tried to flush the bacteria out of her sinuses Credit: TikTok @christinexploring
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Here's why you're cleaning the kitchen sink wrong – it could be dirtier than your toilet
A CLEANING expert has warned that people are probably cleaning their kitchen sink wrong. Despite being an area of the home associated with cleaning, it is often one of the most germ-ridden spots. 1 Plumbworld, bathroom and kitchen experts, warn that improper cleaning techniques can put folk at risk of illness if not properly addressed. While toilets are regularly disinfected using strong cleaners, kitchen sinks often receive just a quick rinse. This is far from sufficient. Between raw meat, dairy, dirty dishes and even pet bowls, your sink is exposed to high levels of bacteria every day. A spokesman from Plumbworld explains: 'Many people assume the bathroom is dirtier than the kitchen, but studies have shown that sinks can contain more E. coli and other harmful bacteria than the average toilet bowl. "The moist, food-rich environment allows germs to thrive, especially when cleaning is neglected. "Just because a sink looks clean doesn't mean it's germ-free. "Proper daily cleaning habits are essential to keep your kitchen safe and hygienic. "By understanding where germs collect and adjusting your cleaning routine, you can dramatically improve your household's health and hygiene. " Small daily actions make a big difference when it comes to avoiding bacteria build-up in the kitchen." Common cleaning mistakes for the kitchen sink include using only warm water without soap or disinfectant and ignoring the plughole and overflow area, which collect grime. While people often leave sponges or cloths in the sink, allowing bacteria to spread, and fail to clean after rinsing raw meat or fish, which can introduce pathogens. The best tips are daily cleaning – wash the sink basin with hot water and washing-up liquid every day - and disinfecting it with an antibacterial spray, or a mix of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to break down grease and sanitise. Flushing the drain by poring boiling water down the plughole daily to help clear build-up and reduce odours can also help. While regularly washing your sponges, brushes, and cloths and replacing items when they begin to smell or break down is key.
