View Single Post
Old 01-11-2004, 11:24 AM   #14
elSicomoro
Person who doesn't update the user title
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 12,486
It depends on the strain. The incidents above were caused by E. coli O157:H7. From the CDC:

In some persons, particularly children under 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can also cause a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. About 2%-7% of infections lead to this complication. In the United States, hemolytic uremic syndrome is the principal cause of acute kidney failure in children, and most cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome are caused by E. coli O157:H7.

...

About one-third of persons with hemolytic uremic syndrome have abnormal kidney function many years later, and a few require long-term dialysis. Another 8% of persons with hemolytic uremic syndrome have other lifelong complications, such as high blood pressure, seizures, blindness, paralysis, and the effects of having part of their bowel removed.
elSicomoro is offline   Reply With Quote