Symptoms and Clinical Manifestations of Pet E. coli Inf

Young animals and poultry are highly susceptible to this disease. Infected and carrier animals are the primary sources of transmission. The bacteria are excreted through feces, contaminating water sources, feed, air, and the teats and skin of lactating animals. Other young animals can become infected through contact, leading to gastrointestinal infections. Poultry can contract the disease through the digestive and respiratory tracts, or via cracks in the eggs. This illness occurs throughout the year and can be triggered by factors such as hunger, malnutrition in young animals, and sudden changes in weather.

Here are some clinical symptoms observed in various animals:

1. Pigs

Young piglet yellow diarrhea results in rapid weight loss, confusion, dehydration, and death, with a high mortality rate. White diarrhea in piglets is a pastelike, foulsmelling stool that can resolve on its own with a low mortality rate. Swelling disease in pigs, which occurs in weaned piglets, is characterized by frothy saliva, increased heart rate, constipation, muscle tremors, unsteady gait, blind movement, and swelling. The incidence is low, but the mortality rate is high.

2. Calves

Blood poisoning in calves presents with fever, diarrhea, and acute death. Enterotoxicemia is a less common type that results in sudden death. The enteric type involves fever, diarrhea, and a return to normal body temperature, followed by pasty stool transitioning to watery stool with a sour smell. Timely treatment can lead to recovery.

3. Rabbits

Rabbits may exhibit small, stringy feces coated with mucus, followed by watery diarrhea. They may become cold, gnaw, drool, and rapidly lose weight, often dying within 12 days.

4. Poultry

Acute cases show a sudden rise in body temperature, often leading to death without diarrhea. Chronic cases in chickens may present with a purple comb, severe diarrhea, grayishwhite feces, and blood in the stool. Before death, the birds may twitch and perform circular movements.

For humans infected with pathogenic Escherichia coli:

Common symptoms include watery diarrhea without mucus or blood, occurring multiple times a day, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, fever, and cough. Symptoms in adults are usually mild, with most individuals experiencing only diarrhea, which can resolve on its own within a few days.

Prevention of human E. coli infections involves maintaining good hygiene in food and drink. Early control of diet during the onset of symptoms can lead to rapid recovery. In young children, dehydration due to diarrhea is common, so it is essential to provide water and electrolyte supplements and adjustments.