How is the infection treated?

There is no special treatment, except drinking a lot of water and watching for complications. Do not take medicine to stop diarrhea unless directed by your physician. This medicine may keep your intestines from getting rid of the E. coli germ. If you are seriously dehydrated, you may need to go to get intravenous fluids and monitored in a hospital setting.

Are there any complications from E. coli infection?

The most common complication is called hemolytic uremic syndrome. People with this problem get hemolytic anemia (which is a low red blood cell count), thrombocytopenia (which is a low platelet count) and renal failure (which is kidney damage).

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is more common in children. It can cause acute renal failure in children. This problem starts about 5 to 10 days after the diarrhea starts. Children who develop this life threatening problem must go to a hospital for medical care.