You may also have nausea or vomiting. Within a day or two, the diarrhea may become bloody. Dehydration may occur if diarrhea fluid loss exceeds intake of fluids. HUS is more common in children. This problem usually starts about 5 to 10 days after the diarrhea starts.
Death occurs in a small percentage of cases, more likely among the very young and the very old.
The diagnosis is confirmed by finding this type of E. coli in the stool. A sample of stool must be submitted to a lab which uses special techniques to grow and identify the bacterium and its toxin. There is no special initial treatment, except drinking enough clear fluids and watching for complications. Don't take medicine to stop diarrhea unless your doctor tells you to, as this could interfere with your body s efforts to clear the infection and the toxin. Antibiotics should not be taken.