Recommendations for prevention
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) is an endemic disease in our country. The incidence in Argentina is the highest in the world are recorded between 400 and 500 new cases per year. Predominates in the warm months or spring and summer.
It affects young children: it is more frequent between 5 and 30 months, although there has been in older children.
Top Symptoms
The disease begins with diarrhea, mucus or bloody mucous pink tinged stool, vomiting, severe pallor and decreased urine output during diarrhea. The latter may occur from dehydration from diarrhea, or kidney involvement due to illness. In any circumstances should be cause for alarm and should be consulted immediately to your doctor.
The disease may progress leading to anemia, impaired renal function and in some cases, neurological abnormalities, manifested by drowsiness or irritability and sometimes seizures.
Source
In 90% of cases, the condition in our country is produced by a bacterium, Escherichia coli, enterohemorrhagic variety, producing a toxin called Verocytotoxin or VTEC. This bacterium and its toxin are heat sensitive and can be destroyed by cooking or pasteurization.
How is it spread
The most important source of infection is through ingestion of contaminated food, the most important are: undercooked beef, unpasteurized milk, milk products manufactured from unpasteurized milk and contaminated water.
Another form of infection is “person to person” when a person does not wash hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and prepared foods, and may contaminate them.
Finally there is the pollution “crusade” by linking food contaminated with other contaminated foods are eaten raw, like lettuce, tomato and others.
Prevention and Recommendations
1. Ensure proper cooking of meat destroys the bacteria at 70 ° C. This is done when the meat is cooking evenly.
2. Be particularly careful with the cooking of minced meat, usually cooked as well the surface, remaining inside the bacteria. The juice of cooked ground beef must be completely translucent.
3. You must ensure complete cooking of hamburgers because they are major source of pollution on children.
4. Use different utensils for raw meat and cut others to pieces before being eaten.
5. Avoid contact with raw meat foods.
6. Controlling the use of milk and dairy products pasteurized and properly maintain the cold chain.
7. Do not consume unpasteurized fruit juices.
8. Carefully wash fruits and vegetables.
9. Ensure proper hand hygiene (should be washed with soap and water) before preparing food.
10. Wash hands with soap and water after using the bathroom.
11. Using swimming facilities authorized for that purpose sufficiently chlorinated water.
12. Consuming water or boiling when in doubt.
Tags: endemic disease, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, PreventHemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Verocytotoxin
