E coli- child麓s .infection- help!?

My cousin has got an e coli infection. He has been using our toilet and cutlery all the time. at are the chances we contracted it? I麓m really worried as we have got children. Thank you!!!

As a previous poster pointed out, what strain of E. coli does your cousin have. If E. coli O157:H7, then I would be worried. If just run of the mill E. coli that is causing diarrhea, then I would be less worried. However, I would not let him touch anything in your kitchen, especially cutlery, if he is not using proper hygeine after using the bathroom. He can easily transmitt the E. coli to everyone in the house.

You never know. . . You should be sure everything is cleaned really good after him. . . be on the safe side. ..

Firstly, you don't say if the E. coli your cousin has is a serious one or not. If it was E. coli 0157, then you are correct to be concerned. E. coli can be spread anytime there is fecal-oral contamination. This means that if your cousin got fecal material on anything that you or your family may then ingest, then you may indeed get it too. For example, if your cousin doesn't wash his hands after using the bathroom and then assists in preparing a family meal. If your pet drinks from the toilet then licks your child's hands and then that child eats a sandwich. See how it works?

E coli can be a VERY serious infection for young children. it can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome which is very often fatal. You need to find out if your cousin has an enteropathogenic strain of E coli. If not, no worries...regular E coli is a very common bacteria and is the leading cause of UTI's, etc.

For now, just clean your home (especially the bathrooms) very thoroughly and get more information from your cousin.