(From left) Melissa Kendall, PhD, and William Petri, MD, PhD
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a food safety alert last week related to the recent E. coli outbreak linked to the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.
In an effort to better understand E. coli and its impact on human health, UVA Today reached out to Melissa Kendall, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology and William Petri, MD, PhD, the Wade Hampton Frost Professor of Medicine, to get their insights into the outbreak.
In the article, Drs. Kendall and Petri discuss how people can steer clear of the pathogenic E. coli and what to do if they suspect ingestion of contaminated food.
“If they’re concerned, they should drink plenty of water because diarrhea can cause dehydration. This is a bacteria we don’t typically use antibiotics to treat because antibiotics are associated with an increase in Shiga toxin production; however, supportive care may be used to limit severe infection. People should monitor their symptoms, and if their diarrhea becomes more severe or contains blood, they should seek medical attention,” stated Dr. Kendall.
Read the full story in UVA Today.