For many people, the word "bacteria" means imminent evil. However, there are different species among these microscopic living forms. Some always bring only diseases, therefore they are very dangerous. Others, on the contrary, do good by performing important functions for the life of people and animals. Representatives of the third group, which include E. coli lactose-negative bacteria, can be both useful and dangerous, therefore they are called conditionally pathogenic. Some patients, seeing in the results of their analyzes the presence of incomprehensible "E. coli ”, they are very upset and are in a hurry to immediately begin treatment. This is not advisable in all cases, since these bacteria should be present in the intestinal microflora, but their number should always be normal. Both its excess and decrease causes a disease - dysbiosis.
What is E. coli
To make it clear what will be discussed in the article, we will explain the name of the microorganism - E. coli lactose-negative. They are called Escherichia coli in another way because they live in the intestines of humans and some species of mammals. In Latin, it sounds like Escherichia coli. The name "Escherichia" was given to microorganisms in honor of the scientist from Austria Theodor Escherich, who was the first to find them. The term "lactose" means that they reproduce well on lactose, that is, in dairy environments, and "negative" emphasizes their activity harmful to the human body. In the group of E. coli, in addition to lactose-negative, enterohemorrhagic, enteroinvasive, enterotoxigenic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli are isolated. Any amount in the intestines is dangerous to health.
A microscope allows you to see how they look. E. coli lactose-negative and other Escherichia really look like short sticks with rounded ends. Their width is up to 0.8 microns, length up to 3 microns. Sometimes these bacteria connect with each other, forming chains. Outside, their shell is covered with saws - villi, helping the microbe to fix on the walls of the intestine and be insensitive to many antibiotics. At the end, the Escherichia has a flagellum, with the help of which they move fairly quickly. Therefore, once, for example, in the genitals, they are able to move to the kidneys, prostate, bladder.
Lactose-negative E. coli are facultative anaerobes, that is, oxygen is not needed for their vital functions, but they can easily transfer its presence.
These bacteria, like all Escherichia, have many strains that differ in some external signs, a reaction to antibiotics, secreted by toxins and other features.
The benefits of Escherichia coli
Some sources indicate that lactose-negative E. coli enter the digestive tract of the fetus in the womb, but most bacteriologists are inclined to believe that they colonize the intestines of the baby in the first two days after birth. E. coli does not linger in the stomach because the environment is inappropriate for them. Having penetrated the intestine, they attach to its walls, where they live all the time while their carrier is alive. While there are 10 * 5 CFU / g (this is only 1% of all microorganisms in the intestine), they are doing a useful job:
- produce B vitamins, lactate, succinic, formic, acetic and lactic acids, biotin, vitamin K;
- they process oxygen, which contributes to the vital activity of bifidobacteria, without which there can be no normal digestion of food;
- do not allow many pathogenic bacteria to settle in the colon.
In other words, in certain quantities, these bacteria are necessary. Separate strains are even used as a probiotic and purposefully introduced into the intestines in some diseases. Therefore, if the analysis showed their presence in the norm, then there is no pathology.
E. coli lactose-negative: proliferation. What it is?
In medicine, the term "proliferation" means tissue proliferation. In relation to bacteria - this is their excess growth. Normally, E. coli colonize the large intestine. During proliferation, they migrate in large numbers to thin, causing dysbiosis in it. E. coli begin to ferment (ferment) carbohydrates, which leads to the formation of methane, hydrogen and CO 2 . The patient because of this, bloating is observed. Fermentation also produces fatty acids, which stimulate the formation of water in the intestines. As a result, a person begins diarrhea. The proliferation of microbes into the small intestine causes deconjugation and loss of fatty acids, which provokes cholelithiasis.
If bacteria that are too proliferating through ulceration in the intestinal walls manage to penetrate the bloodstream, they spread to many organs, causing various diseases, such as meningitis, gastroenteritis, peritonitis, sepsis.
Dysbacteriosis in infants: causes and symptoms
In the normal state, infants must have beneficial bacteria in their gut. If lactose-negative E. coli is elevated, dysbacteriosis may begin in the baby. This is due to low immunity in newborn babies and the inability of their body to control the number of bacteria. Signs of the disease:
- bloating;
- flatulence;
- frequent spitting up, sometimes vomiting;
- rumbling in the stomach;
- diarrhea (feces watery, foamy, with a characteristic odor);
- allergic dermatitis;
- weight loss.
In feces, undigested grains of food, mucus can be observed.
If the baby defecates too often, dehydration is possible. Its symptoms are:
- rare urination;
- weakness;
- dry lips, tongue.
In some cases, E. coli is lactose-negative in the feces of the baby, but the baby is active, eats well, and gains weight. It depends on the characteristics of his immune system.
In addition to a violation of the number of conditionally pathogenic E. coli, in the first days and weeks after birth, dysbiosis can begin due to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli entering the gastrointestinal tract. They can be infected with mother’s milk, through a dirty nipple, toys, medical instruments, poorly washed hands of the mother or medical staff, an insufficiently processed bottle. In infants who are breast-fed, infection with pathogenic Escherichia occurs if the milk mixture is prepared in violation of the technology. At the same time, temperature and bloody streaks in the feces are added to the general symptoms of dysbiosis (diarrhea, vomiting, bloating).
Diagnosis and treatment of dysbiosis in infants
If a bowel disorder is suspected in children, feces are taken for dysbiosis and coprogram. It is better to collect material for analysis from a diaper, and not from a diaper.
If the tests showed that lactose-negative E. coli is elevated in the baby, but his condition is normal, treatment is not carried out. In some cases, the doctor prescribes probiotics, such as Bifidumbacterin, and prebiotics such as Hilak Forte, Dufalac.
If the condition of the child up to a year is serious, he will be hospitalized. The hospital conducts complex therapy aimed at preventing dehydration (small children are given droppers with rehydration solutions) and to reduce the performance of E. coli.
If there is excessive proliferation of Escherichia coli, and the child has developed meningitis or other serious complications, treatment is carried out with antibiotics.
In cases of detection of pathogenic E. coli in the baby's feces, treatment is required. It is carried out with antibiotics, rehydration solutions, probiotics and prebiotics.
Dysbacteriosis in children older than a year
It is believed that in infants older than 1 year of age, intestinal dysfunction occurs for the same reasons as in adults. E. coli lactose-negative are elevated in a child in such cases:
- very weak immunity;
- prolonged use of antibiotics, especially if treatment with these drugs is carried out on the initiative of the parents, and not as prescribed by the doctor.
Symptoms of dysbiosis in children older than a year are the same as in infants:
- stomach ache;
- loose stools more than 2 times a day;
- rumbling in the intestines;
- flatulence;
- vomiting
- general malaise.
In rare cases, dysbiosis is accompanied by constipation or an alternation of constipation and diarrhea.
The same instability of bowel movements is observed if E. coli lactose-negative are reduced. If the analysis revealed the number of these bacteria is below normal, this may indicate the presence of worms.
In addition, in children older than one year, infection with dangerous Escherichia coli is possible: enterotoxigenic (attaches to the intestinal wall and releases toxins that provoke diarrhea), enteroinvasive (causes symptoms similar to shingellosis and dysentery), enterohemorrhagic (diarrhea with blood streaks may occur, pain in the abdomen has a sharp cramping character).
E. coli leads to infection with these species:
- eating unwashed or seeded foods, especially dairy;
- any bodily contact with a sick child or adult (for example, playing together, because of which outbreaks of dysbiosis are often recorded in kindergartens and nurseries);
- the use of objects seeded with Escherichia coli (toys, dishes).
Diagnosis and treatment of dysbiosis in children
If the child has diarrhea and other symptoms of a violation of the digestive tract, it is necessary to take tests:
- coprogram;
- feces for dysbiosis.
Sometimes bacterial cultures of urine and vomit are performed for the presence of E. coli in the material.
Enterohemorrhagic sticks in the test results should be absent. E. coli lactose-negative in feces in children older than a year and adults should remain within 10 * 5 CFU / g. Moreover, in general, all conditionally pathogenic E. coli should be from 10 * 7 to 10 * 8 CFU / g. If this indicator is reduced to 10 * 6 CFU / g, dysbacteriosis of the first degree is diagnosed, and if increased to 10 * 9 CFU / g and higher, dysbacteriosis of the second degree.
Treatment for elevated lactose-negative E. coli is based on a strict diet. It includes cereals boiled in water without oil, mucous soups (rice, oatmeal), boiled fish, vegetables, meat, as well as crackers, bagels, and brown bread. To avoid dehydration, the child is given frequent drinking (clean water, teas with chamomile, yarrow), jelly made from apples, black currants, dried fruit compotes. With very frequent diarrhea, solutions of Regidron, Glucosolan are given to drink or solutions are prepared on their own from pure water, to which sugar, salt and soda are added in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Also, the complex of therapy includes enterosorbents "Polysorb", "Smecta".
If dysbiosis is accompanied by a temperature of 38 ° C, antipyretic drugs are prescribed.
If treatment does not bring results on the 4th day, antibiotics are prescribed to the patient. Effective are Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin.
After recovery, patients must drink a course of probiotics "Bifidumbacterin", "Linex", "Bifikol" and others.
E. coli in women
If in women E. coli are lactose-negative in feces, dysbiosis of the II degree is diagnosed. They can call him:
- severe diseases of any etiology, leading to a decrease in immunity;
- uncontrolled or prolonged use of antibiotics.
Ingestion of other pathogenic E. coli is possible in such situations:
- the use of low-quality water and food;
- bodily contact (eg, shaking hands) with the carrier of the bacteria;
- lack of hygiene;
- the use of household items that have E. coli (it should be noted that they are very tenacious in the external environment, they can exist for a long time in soil, in food and in water).
In most cases, the disease goes away without taking antibiotics. Treatment methods:
- rigid diet;
- heavy drinking;
- intake of enterosorbents.
It is much more dangerous if lactose-negative E. coli is found in the urine or vagina, because normally they should not be there. Bacteria enter the environment unusual for them with improper hygiene or its absence (without regular washing, the E. coli that emerge from the colon with feces remain on the body and penetrate the vagina), when wearing tight underwear, especially strings, during unprotected intercourse with a carrier bacteria.
If E. coli is found to be lactose-negative in the vagina, how to treat such a disease? And is it necessary to do this if the woman does not feel discomfort? Escherichia coli, once in the genitals, can move from there to the urethra, bladder, ovaries, and uterus. With a stream of urine, they are not washed out and almost always cause inflammation, which, without proper treatment, becomes chronic. That is, a woman becomes a carrier of E. coli. In this case, obvious symptoms may be absent, only vaginal discharge with a characteristic unpleasant odor and some discomfort during intercourse are observed. Hypothermia, stress, poor nutrition, any disease can trigger the transition of the chronic form to acute, so if the analysis showed the presence of lactose-negative E. coli in the vagina, treatment is mandatory. The course of treatment includes taking antibiotics and restorative agents. After a month, you need to repeat the analysis. If the stick in the smear or urine is again detected, a second course is prescribed, but with other antibiotics.
Escherichia coli in pregnant women
As noted above, E. coli is lactose-negative (E. coli) present in the gastrointestinal tract in all people, without any problems. In women, during pregnancy, immunity is weakened, which often leads to the output of the number of Escherichia beyond the normal range. In this case, the woman herself may not feel discomfort, and a change in the microflora of her intestines is detected only by the results of the analyzes.
It is much worse when a pregnant woman has the following symptoms of dysbiosis:
- diarrhea;
- vomiting
- constipation;
- heartburn;
- flatulence.
Frequent acts of bowel movements and vomiting lead to dehydration, which negatively affects the development of the baby in the womb. In addition, in the presence of too many bacteria, an intoxication of the pregnant woman occurs with the products of their vital functions. Also, diarrhea is fraught with an increase in the tone of the uterus, which threatens premature birth. Constipation is unfavorable for all people (and especially for pregnant women) in that the unnecessary substances found in the feces are not excreted from the body, but are sent back to the blood.
Treatment of lactose-negative E. coli in pregnant women is carried out according to the general scheme:
- strict diet;
- reception of rehydrants;
- drinking teas, jelly, decoctions of dried fruits;
- intake of enterosorbents.
If E. coli is found in urine or in a smear taken from the vagina of a pregnant woman, it is necessary to take urgent measures, because this is fraught with the development of colpitis, as well as infection of the baby during childbirth. Therefore, a pregnant woman must be prescribed a course of antibiotic treatment. Amoxiclav can be used at any time, Cefotaxime only after 27 weeks, Cefipim and Ceftriaxone only after 13 weeks, Furagin only until 38 weeks.
E. coli in men
Are lactose-negative E coli elevated in an adult male in feces? If the indicators differ from the norm, this indicates dysbiosis. The causes of its occurrence, symptoms and treatment methods are the same as for women. The ingestion of intestinal bacteria in the urethra of a man’s penis causes urethritis, which can occur in acute form (with severe pain during urination) for only one to two days, and then go into chronic without treatment.
Bacteria from the urethra migrate to the genitals and provoke diseases such as prostatitis, orchitis (inflammation of the testicles), epididymitis (inflammation of the appendages of the testes). Transition from a chronic to an acute form of the disease will occur with hypothermia, stress, any situations involving a decrease in immunity. Therefore, treatment (lactose-negative E. coli in the urogenital organs of a man should not be!) Is necessary. They conduct it according to the same scheme as in women.