THE OUTBREAK OF E.COLI

INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY: RITHVIK, NATHAN, SHRUTHI, AND SHRIYA

POWERPOINT ASSEMBLED BY RITHVIK BOBBILI

BARROW COUNTYRECENTLY, WE HAVE HAD MANY PEOPLE BECOME ILL AND SOME

PEOPLE DIE. THIS TRAGEDY HAS BEEN VERY SAD, BUT WE MUST MAKE SURE THIS WON’T HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. TO DO SO WE HAVE MADE A NEW LAYOUT FOR THE FAIR GROUNDS NEXT YEAR AND SOME OTHER ACTIONS NEEDED TO BE DONE. IN THE FUTURE, WE MAY MAKE OTHER CHANGES TOO.

THE CULPRITWHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOT SICK?

ESCHERICHIA COLI (ALSO CALLED E.COLI) HAS STRUCK THEM. SENIORS, CHILDREN, AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS FOR ANY REASON ARE MORE VULNERABLE, BUT WE WON’T LEAVE IT UP TO OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS TO PROTECT US NEXT TIME. FIRST, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT E. COLI CHARACTERISTICS TO GET AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT IS E. COLI.

E. COLI CHARACTERISTICS• E. COLI USUALLY EFFECTS ELDERS AND CHILDREN• E.COLI MAY BE LIVING IN AN ANIMAL’S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, BUT IT MAY NOT

AFFECT THE ANIMAL• E.COLI MAY ALSO COME FROM HUMAN OR ANIMAL FECES• E.COLI SHOULD NOT BE TREATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS• E. COLI IS ALSO KNOWN TO BE KILLED IF PLACED ON COPPER

E. COLI SYMPTOMS• BLOODY DIARRHEA• SEVERE STOMACH ACHES• NAUSEA • FEVER• DEHYDRATION• KIDNEY FAILURE• MIGHT EVEN CAUSE A DEATH AFTER SEVERE DEHYDRATION • A GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS HEMOLYTIC UREMIC SYNDROME (HUS) BREAKS UP RED BLOOD CELLS AND

CAUSES THE CROWDING OF PLATELETS. THIS RESULTED IN REDUCED BLOOD FLOW IN THE SMALL BLOOD VESSELS CAUSING KIDNEY FAILURE

HOW TO TREAT E.COLIALTHOUGH THERE IS NO CURE, OR MEDICINE FOR E. COLI, THERE ARE STILL THINGS YOU

SHOULD DO IN ORDER TO GET RID OF E. COLI. FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT, DRINK LOT’ OF FLUIDS (WATER, JUICE, BUT PREFERABLY WATER) AND DON’T DRINK SALTWATER BECAUSE SALTWATER ACTUALLY DEHYDRATES YOU. WITH THE FLUIDS, YOU SHOULD ALSO GET LOT’S OF REST. ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD DO IS HAVE A BLOOD TRANSFUSION, TO TREAT ANEMIA BY GIVING YOU ADDITIONAL OXYGEN-RICH RED BLOOD CELLS. ALSO, DO NOT TAKE ANTIBIOTICS. MANY ANTIDIARRHEAL PRODUCTS SLOW THE RATE AT WHICH FOOD AND WASTE PRODUCTS MOVE THROUGH THE INTESTINES. THIS MAY ALLOW MORE TIME FOR THE BODY TO ABSORB THE POISONS PRODUCED BY THE BACTERIA, INCREASING THE RISK OF COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS SEVERE BLOOD AND KIDNEY PROBLEMS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. IF IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO KIDNEY FAILURE, THEN TRY TO GET A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT FOR THE PATIENT. THESE ARE SOME WAYS HOW TO TREAT E.COLI.

MEDICINES TO AVOID NON-PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

• LOPERAMIDE PRODUCTS. THESE INCLUDE IMODIUM, MAALOX, AND OTHER ANTIDIARRHEAL PRODUCTS. NOTE: ONLY THOSE PRODUCTS THAT LIST LOPERAMIDE IN THEIR INGREDIENTS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

• PRODUCTS CONTAINING SALICYLATES. THESE INCLUDE PEPTO-BISMOL AND SIMILAR BISMUTH-BASED ANTIDIARRHEAL PRODUCTS, ASPIRIN, AND IBUPROFEN (SUCH AS ADVIL). SALICYLATES CAN INCREASE BLEEDING FROM THE INTESTINES. ALSO, SALICYLATES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH REYE SYNDROME, A RARE BUT SERIOUS ILLNESS IN CHILDREN

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS• DIFENOXIN WITH ATROPINEE

(MOTOFENN)• DIPHENOXYLATE WITH ATROPINE

(LOMOTILL)• LOPERAMIDE (PRESCRIPTION-

STRENGTH IMODIUM)

WHERE E.COLI MOST LIKELY CAME FROM

• ELEPHANT EARS• HAMBURGERS (UNDERCOOKED MEAT)• HOMEMADE ICE CREAM (MILK)• THE PETTING ZOO• UNSANITARY HANDS AFTER LEAVING THE FAIR• POSSIBLE FECES IN THE ANIMAL BARNS (HORSE FECES, COW

FECES, ETC..)• THE CHURCH CAMP ( MAYBE THE CANDY…)

HERE IS A MAP FOR NEXT YEAR’S COUNTY FAIR LAYOUT…

OTHER ACTIONS NEEDED TO BE TAKEN

• INSPECT ALL THE FOOD BOOTHS NEXT TIME• MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO ANIMAL FECES AT ANY OF THE ANIMAL

ACTIVITIES• USE COPPER TO MAKE ITEMS ( E.X. BASKETBALL HOOPS, PLATES, WATER

FOUNTAINS)• PUT IN MCDONALD'S, WENDY’S, AND BURGER KING’S TO MAKE SURE THE

FOOD IS CLEANER. TRUE, EVEN THERE THEY MIGHT CONTAMINATE THE FOOD SOMEHOW BUT SINCE THESE RESTAURANTS ARE MORE REPUTABLE, THEY WOULDN’T WANT THE PUBLIC TO STOP BUYING FROM THEM BECAUSE THEIR FOOD IS UNSAFE . THUS THEY WOULD BE MORE CAREFUL THEN OTHERS

OTHER ACTIONS NEEDED TO BE TAKEN (CONT.)• THE GARDEN SPOT SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN FOR TWO WEEKS SO A

THOROUGH INSPECTION CAN BE DONE• NEXT TIME, IF ANY FOOD VENDOR FAILS THE INSPECTION THEY SHOULD BE

SHUT DOWN• IF A KID FALLS SICK, THEY SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM SCHOOL AND OTHER

KIDS

TO MAKE SURE NO ONE DIES NEXT TIME……

LOOK FOR:• RASHES• DIARRHEA• DEHYDRATION• KIDNEY FAILURE• SIMILAR SYMPTOMS WITH THIS YEAR’S E.COLI OUTBREAK

INFORMATION WE USED• MAP OF THE FAIR• MAP OF BARROW COUNTY• CONTAGIOUS DISEASE REPORTS• MEMOS FROM DR.BILLMAN• NEWSPAPER ARTICLE FROM BARROW COUNTY

BIBLIOGRAPHY• WWW.WEBMD.COM• POPULAR SCIENCE MAGAZINE

THE END

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