About enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection (O157, etc.)

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap when returning home from going out, before cooking or during cooking, before eating, after the toilet, or after touching animals.
• When eating vegetables, etc. raw, wash well with water. In particular, people with weak resistance, such as children and the elderly, may become more severe when food poisoning occurs, so be careful.
• Let's heat the food well. Pay particular attention to meat and heat it to the center for at least 75 ° C for 1 minute.
• Wash your cooking utensils thoroughly with detergent each time you use them. Also, disinfect with boiling water or kitchen bleach as appropriate.
• Cut cutting boards and cooking chopsticks should be separated from those that handle raw meat and raw fish.

• Frequent watery stool (diarrhea, etc.)
• Severe abdominal pain
• Significant bloody stool

These are suspected of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection.
Do not take diarrheal medicine, and consult your local medical institution as soon as possible.

• Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Q & A (outside site)(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli refers to Escherichia coli that produces toxins and causes bleeding enteritis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). In addition to "O157", "O26" and "O111" are typical.

Approximately 4,000 cases of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection are reported annually throughout the country.

In Yokohama city, it occurs frequently from June to October, when the temperature is high, so please be careful. (For the latest information, please refer to "Infectious Disease Occurrence Status (Total Information, Class 3 Infectious Diseases) (Yokohama City Inst. of Health)")

In many cases, symptoms such as frequent water-like stools appear with an incubation period of about 3 to 5 days. Further worse can result in severe abdominal pain and significant bloody stools. (On the other hand, there may be no symptoms at all, or it may end with only mild abdominal pain or diarrhea.)
It can also develop serious complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and encephalopathy.
If you have diarrhea symptoms, do not take diarrhea at your own discretion and consult a doctor as soon as possible.

• Ingestion of food and drinks contaminated with bacteria
  (There are many cases where raw meat such as raw liver and yukke, or meat that is insufficient heating is suspected.)
• When wiping off the infected person's vomit, etc., the contaminated food is mistakenly eaten. (secondary infection)
• In contact with infected animals (especially warped animals such as cows).
• Eat well water or pool water contaminated with bacteria.

• People with weak resistance, such as infants and the elderly, are more likely to suffer and become more severe.
• The incubation period is long. (2 to 14 days. On average, about 3 to 5 days)
• It is vulnerable to heat and almost kills by heating at 75°C for 1 minute.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap when returning home from going out, before or during cooking, before eating, after the toilet, after touching animals, etc.
• Wash the food well with water and use fresh food.
• Let's heat the food firmly to the center. Especially meat should be heated at 75 ° C for at least 1 minute.
  (Special care must be taken to provide children and the elderly.)
• Wash your cooking utensils thoroughly with detergent every time you use them. Also, disinfect with boiling water or kitchen bleach as appropriate.
• Cut cutting boards and cooking chopsticks should be separated from raw meat and raw fish.

• Poster "Is that meat burns well?" （PDF：426KB）(Yokohama City Public Health Center)
• Flyer "Beware of outbreaks of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection! ~ Necessary measures at nursery schools ~ "(PDF: 468KB)(Yokohama City Public Health Center)
• Electronic brochure publication page of infectious diseases(Yokohama City Inst. of Health)

According to the Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients with Infectious Diseases (Infectious Diseases Law), doctors who have examined infected persons (including asymptomatic carriers) are required to notify the nearest Chief Health and Welfare Center (Health Center Director). At the Health and Welfare Center (health center) receiving the notification, the infected person and their contacts will be examined and the surrounding area to check the outbreak situation, cause, and whether or not the infection will spread.
In addition, infected people may be restricted from working in food and beverage operations.

• Health and Welfare Center Health and Welfare Division Health Promotion Section
• Health and Welfare Center Health Sanitation Division Food Sanitation Officer in each district
• City of Yokohama, Medical Care Bureau Health and Safety Division (TEL045-671-2463, FAX045-664-7296)
• City of Yokohama, Medical Care Bureau Food Sanitation Division (TEL045-671-2460, FAX045-641-6074)

• Weekdays from 8:45 to 17:00 ...Health and Welfare Center Health and Welfare Division Health Promotion Section
• Outside of the above hours ...Emergency call dial for infectious diseases and food poisoning