MICROBIOLOGY

Microbial pie, or what did

you feed your neighbor?

Part I Emergency Room

1.

What is the most common

source of contamination with E.
coli?

.Contaminated

food
.Contaminated water
.Animals and their environment

2. At this point, can you make some

preliminary guesses as to the source of the
infection?
Person
Animals
Objects
Environment

3. What information should Ami

gather from the victims and their
families?
What
How

did the ill people eat?

many among their family became

sick?
Where

did the food came from?

How

was the food distributed?

What
When

are the symptoms of illness?

did the illness begin and how

long did it last?

4. Why do the children seem to be

the most ill?
They

have the least developed

immune system

5. How does this bacterium

damage its victims?
abdominal

pain

Vomiting
bloody

diarrhea
hemolytic anemia
small bruises and hemorrhages visible
in the mucosal lining of the mouth. It
also lowers the RBC, hemoglobin and
platelet count.

Part II Clean Kitchen?

1. Based on this additional
information, how do you think the
pies became contaminated?
burger

outbreak

Ingredients

refrigerator

of the pie stored in the

2. Think about the hand-washing

lab. Based on the results, could
this be a source of contamination?
Yes,

the hand washing lab was found

to be contaminated since the cleaner
used was the same which causes the
bacteria to adapt and be immune.

3. What would you expect from the

cultures of the lab?
We

expect growth.

4. What other objects would you

culture in the kitchen? Why?
Refrigerator
Counter
Equipment's

5. What would you expect to find

from the kitchen samples?
Unwanted

microorganisms

6. Miss Emma cleans well. How is it

that some E. coli survived? Think
about the results you got from the
antimicrobial lab.
Because

the cleaner, even if its antibacterial was acidic. Since E.coli is an

acid adaptive bacterium they are to
survive and synthesize within the
environment.

7. What could be changed to

prevent this from happening
again?
Handwashing

is the single most

important procedure for preventing
the spread of biological
contamination.

Here

are some handwashing tips

and procedures for your use.

Consider

the sink, including the faucet

controls, contaminated.
Avoid touching the sink.
Vigorously rub together all surfaces of the
lathered hands for 15 seconds. Friction
helps remove dirt and microorganisms.
Wash around and under rings, around
cuticles, and under fingernails
Rinse hands thoroughly under a stream of
water. Running water carries away dirt
and debris. Point fingers down so water
and contamination won't drip toward
elbows.

To

keep soap from becoming a

breeding place for microorganisms,
thoroughly clean soap dispensers
before refilling with fresh soap.
When handwashing facilities are not
available at a remote work site, use an
appropriate antiseptic hand cleaner or
antiseptic towelettes. As soon as
possible, rewash hands with soap and
running water.