How is it transmitted?

Animal contact Most of us associate E.coli O157 with “food poisoning”, but it can be spread simply by touching animals like cattle and sheep. All of these animals naturally carry a range of micro organisms which, while not being harmful to them, can be a danger to us. When we touch an animal we can pick up the germs instantly, so even stroking infected animals can be potentially dangerous.

Environmental contact E.coli O157 is also spread through animal droppings. This means that special care needs to be taken around any land where animals might have been. You must be especially careful in wet weather because rain draining from fields can lead to contamination of paths and streams. In wet conditions E.coli O157 can easily pass from shoes, hands and clothes to fences, gates and stiles.

So how is it transmitted to us? As you’ve just read, we can pick up E.coli O157 by coming into direct contact with animals or from touching something which has been infected by their droppings.

However, for it to be a danger to us the germ must be swallowed.

Unfortunately it only has to be ingested in relatively small quantities for it to be dangerous. So hand hygiene is extremely important.