May 26, 2008 4:01 pm US/Eastern
E-Coli Registry Aims To Identify Long-Term Effects
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Those infected with food-borne illnesses can become seriously ill and can continue to have health problems years later.
It's not clear how often this occurs but scientists are now trying to figure that out.
College student Alyssa Chrobuck considers herself lucky to be alive. At the age of 5 she ate a hamburger contaminated with e-coli.
Soon she was in the hospital with her organs shutting down and her parents fearing the worst.
"They had several doctors tell them I was going to die," she said.
Chrobuck beat the bug but has suffered after-effects ever since. The 20-year-old girl takes eight medications for a list of ailments from gall stones to high cholesterol.
"I had to get half my thyroid removed last year because I had thyroid nodules pressing on my voice box," she said.
Every year, some 325,000 people are hospitalized because of food-borne illnesses like E-coli, and most recover completely.
But how many people go on to have long lasting health problems is not well-known because no one is keeping track.
Nancy Donley plans to change that after her son, Alex, died when he was infected by E-coli 15 years ago.
Donley is now the president of STOP, which stands for Safe Tables Our Priority.
"There are people who have had long-term kidney problems, diabetes, pancreatic problems, vision problems," said Donley.
STOP is asking these people to register on its Web site
safetables.org to see how widespread the problem is.
"These long term complications are life threatening, they're life altering and needs to be taken very, very seriously," Donley said.
It's hoped this will lead to a better understanding of food borne illness and how cases like Chronbuck's can be avoided.
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protect yourself against food-borne illnesses
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