Enterohemorrhagic Colitis

Classification according to ICD-10
A04.3	Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli intestinal infection
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

The Enterohemorrhagic colitis (of enteron : intestine, hemorrhagic : bleeding) is a severe enteritis ( inflammation of the intestine ), caused by the bacterial strains of EHEC ( enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli ).

Ruminants , especially cattle , sheep and goats , but also wild ruminants (especially roe deer and deer ) are seen as the main reservoir for EHEC. EHEC infections can lead to severe intestinal inflammation with bloody-watery diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps. Especially in babies, toddlers, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, the course of illness can be dramatic and life-threatening.

The EHEC bacteria can also cause a very severe systemic disease, the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This clinical picture can lead to severe kidney failure , which in most cases requires dialysis . Permanent kidney damage occurs in five percent of the HUS cases that have occurred. These patients need dialysis and after surviving acute illness can ultimately only be cured by a kidney transplant .

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Carlos Thomas (Ed.): Atlas of Infectious Diseases . Schattauer Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-7945-2762-5 , p. 357 ( limited preview in Google Book search).

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !