{"id":11291,"date":"2019-08-28T05:41:02","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T05:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=11291"},"modified":"2022-02-07T09:06:10","modified_gmt":"2022-02-07T09:06:10","slug":"15-common-causes-of-enterococcus-faecalis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-common-causes-of-enterococcus-faecalis\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Common Causes of Enterococcus Faecalis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Enterococcus Faicalis is an infection that is usually present around the vagina, rectum, or mouth. It affects the GI tracts most often, but it can also spread to other areas of the body. If left untreated, it can even spread to the brain and cause serious complications such as meningitis. The bacteria spread easily, and it\u2019s not uncommon for there to be outbreaks of it in schools, restaurants, nursing homes, and hospitals. It can spread by person-to-person contact, and the bacteria can survive on hard surfaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washing your hands properly can kill the bacteria and prevent them from being spread. Once a person ah an infection, they may need to take antibiotics to treat it. The infection is so common that there are many strains that are resistant to medications, making it difficult to treat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the most common causes of an Enterococcus Faecalis infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Poor Hygiene<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Poor hygiene <\/a>is the number one cause of Enterococcus Faecalis infections. People who don\u2019t bathe properly or don\u2019t wash their hands after using the restroom can have the bacteria on their hands. When they touch a doorknob, shake hands, or prepare food, that bacteria can be passed on to the next object. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a person touches or eats something contaminated with the bacteria, they can contract it, and an infection can occur. It can take several days from the time a person is exposed to the bacteria until they start showing symptoms of an infection. Some people do not have a negative reaction to the infection, and the body is able to get rid of it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others get really sick and may suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections and abdominal pain.  They may require antibiotics in order to get over the infection and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Improper Hand Washing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who don\u2019t wash their hands are not only more likely to contract an Enterococcus Faecalis infection but also spread it to other people. The bacteria <\/a>typically live around the rectum or in the mouth. It can be spread from person to person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person goes to the bathroom and doesn\u2019t wash their hands, they may spread the bacteria to bathroom stall locks, doorknobs and handles, and anything else they touch after they leave the bathroom. If these people work around food, they can carry it to the food and make a lot of people sick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the best ways to avoid an infection like this is to wash your hands with hot, soapy water anytime you use the bathroom. You should also wash them before you prepare food. Many people also prefer to use antibacterial lotions and hand sanitizers to help fight off bacterial infections and germs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Improper Food Handling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Failing to care for food properly can lead to an infection<\/a>. This bacteria can grow on food, and when that food is eaten, it travels through the body and then multiplies in the GI tract. People who prepare food often spread the bacteria by using the bathroom and not washing their hands before touching food or food preparation materials. Failing to keep food covered and stored properly can also lead to an infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restaurants that have a salad or buffet are places where the infection can easily spread. Not only do the people who work in the restaurant have a chance to spread the infection, but guests who are touching the serving tools may also be spreading it to others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why there are many outbreaks of Enterococcus Faecalis infection in small areas and among people who frequent the same restaurants.\u00a0Washing your hands before eating can help reduce your risk of contracting an infection this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Improperly Cleaned Catheters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people have to use catheters <\/a>regularly and have to change them frequently. This creates an opportunity for the bacteria to be spread. When a person changes their catheter, they come in direct contact with the bacteria if it\u2019s present in the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they touch the new catheter, they put that same bacteria right back in the body. If they go on to touch other things, they are spread that bacteria through their home. This can also happen in nursing homes, clinics, and hospitals where hospital staff is changing catheters and working closely with other patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most do what\u2019s necessary to protect their patients and themselves from infections, it\u2019s easy for the bacteria to travel from person to person. This is the reason that many people who use catheters suffer from chronic urinary tract infections and why there are so many infections that spread through hospitals and nursing homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Organ Transplants<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When people have an organ transplant, they are at risk for a lot of different complications. Many of them have to take immune suppressant drugs that prevent the body from identifying the transplanted organ as something foreign, and attack and kill. This puts them at risk of developing an infection. The initial surgery to transplant the organ also gives bacteria like Enterococcus Faecalis a chance to enter the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the immune system<\/a> isn\u2019t functioning properly, it can\u2019t fight off the infection, and the bacteria can easily spread through the body. They may even already be present on the organ being transplanted. Once the bacteria is in the body, it can multiply and lead to a variety of different symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person may become severely ill after a transplant because they cannot take the appropriate medication to fight off the infection, and their own immune system isn\u2019t able to do so either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Kidney Dialysis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are undergoing kidney dialysis often experience this infection because it can be present in the machinery and tools used in dialysis. Many people who are undergoing dialysis are at risk for different infections. Since this bacteria is present in the kidneys, it can easily spread during dialysis. It can even lead to kidney <\/a>infections, which can be painful and cause serious symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who are undergoing dialysis are often exposed to catheters that may have bacteria growing on them. It\u2019s important for both the patient and staff to wash their hands thoroughly and ensure all dialysis equipment is properly sanitized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a person develops this infection, they may have to stop dialysis in order to treat it. This isn\u2019t always possible, and some people have to decide which treatment is the better option.\u00a0Most doctors work hard to ensure that their patients are not at risk for this infection because it can cause such serious complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Cancer Treatment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cancer <\/a>treatments can damage the immune system and prevent it from functioning properly. People who are undergoing cancer treatments are more likely to suffer from Enterococcus Faecalis infections. Many people who are receiving cancer treatment experience chronic urinary tract infections. The bacteria may be resistant to the antibiotics, and the damaged immune system is also unable to kill the infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people may see their symptoms improve and then get worse. This usually happens when the infection is treated, but still exists in the body and has a chance to come back stronger. This is why people who are undergoing cancer treatment have to be very careful when they are in a crowd. They often wear masks to protect themselves from germs and bacteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What might be a simple infection to someone can be much more serious to someone who is undergoing cancer treatment and can\u2019t stop the treatment from fighting off the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Immune Suppressant Drugs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While these drugs won\u2019t cause an infection on their own, they can make a person more susceptible to one.  They prevent the immune system from working at its full potential so while an infection may not harm a healthy person or even cause them to experience symptoms; it could cause severe complications for someone with a compromised immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who take these medications <\/a>have to be very careful not to come in contact with this type of infection. Not only are they more likely to have severe symptoms, but it will take them longer to get over it. When the immune system isn\u2019t working properly, it can\u2019t fight off illnesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can make the bacteria more likely to spread to other parts of the body and may cause a person to be hospitalized.  People who are taking immune suppressant drugs may have to go off these meds in order to get over an infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Immune System Dysfunction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The immune system is one of the least-understood biological systems in the body. 60% of the immune system resides in the GI tract. The rest spreads out through the body in almost all the organs. Some people may develop auto-immune disorders and weakened immune system function during their life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the degeneration or inefficiency of the immune system, they are more prone to exposure to enterococcal infection. People with suppressed or ineffective immune systems may experience various health problems during their life, and they may need frequent trips to the doctor’s office to understand what is affecting their physiology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A weakened immune system makes it easy for the enterococcal bacteria to take hold in the patient. They have a harder time fighting off the infection than people with healthy immune systems. If you experience enterococcal disease, you’ll need to get immediate treatment to avoid the complications associated with the illness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. HIV Patients <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People with HIV experience a gradual deterioration of the body’s immune response. They see a steady reduction in CD-4 counts, and they eventually have no immune system left to fight off disease. So, if an HIV patient experiences enterococcal infection, they are likely to have a much more severe response to the pathogen <\/a>than a healthy person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HIV takes years to deteriorate the immune response. Fortunately, there are drug therapies available today that can help the immune system and the body manage the effects of the disease. However, people with advanced HIV are likely to get very sick with Enterococcal infection, and they will experience the worst outcomes of the disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients with HIV need frequent monitoring of their condition by a medical practitioner. If they fail to receive treatment, the virus will eventually cripple the immune system to a point where it can no longer fight invading pathogens. As a result, infection with Enterococcus faecalis at this stage of the disease can be fatal in the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Wounds<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people may experience an enterococcal infection that can spread through wounds, including surgical wounds<\/a>. If you’re in the hospital for surgery, you are already at a high risk of Enterococcus faecalis infection. The bacteria spread rampantly in hospitals that experience contamination with the bacteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you go into the hospital or clinic for surgery, the doctors will likely sterilize the wound frequently after they finish the surgery. This regular cleaning keeps the bacteria out of the wound, preventing infection and disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An open wound is an invitation for all types of bacterial infections. Many people with wounds will pick at stitches or scabs during healing. If they have the bacteria on their hands, they may inadvertently transfer it to the wound, allowing for infection to take place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you come home from the hospital, it’s vital that you take cleaning the wound seriously, especially in the early stages of the healing process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Failure to Use Correct PPE in Medical Settings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hospitals are the number one source of Enterococcus faecalis infection. IF a patient arrives in the clinic for whatever reason and the staff admit them to the hospital, they could spread the bacteria quickly through contact with surfaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The infected individual may wipe the bacteria on bed frames, doorknobs, toilet seats, toilet paper dispensers, taps, and many more surfaces. This rapid spread of the bacteria <\/a>at the facility can occur in just a few hours of the infected individual arriving, depending on how much they move around the hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors can pick up the bacteria through contact with these surfaces. If they are wearing surgical gloves, the bacteria can transfer to the surface of the glove, allowing them to spread it throughout the hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, doctors and nurses must change their gloves before working on any patient to avoid spreading the bacteria. If you’re at a hospital, ask the nurses and doctors if they change their gloves before examining you, it could save you from a nasty infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Food Contamination<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Enterococcus faecalis bacteria spreads rapidly with surface contact with infected individuals. The infected person may spread the bacteria over many surfaces without realizing it. Typically, the bacteria will present and start spreading without showing symptoms at first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the stage where the patient is unaware they are infected, they can spread the bacteria readily. If the infected individual is preparing food at a restaurant, they will transfer the bacteria to the kitchenware and surfaces, where it will come in contact with food. The restaurant’s customers may eat the contaminated food without realizing it, resulting in infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the bacteria enters the body, it infects the individual, and they will experience the onset of symptoms shortly after that. The patient can confuse the effects of the infection with symptoms of food poisoning<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the symptoms will persist for days, and if left undiagnosed and untreated, they will progress into a worsened state, possibly requiring hospitalization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Root Canal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the common ways Enterococcus faecalis bacteria spreads is in dentistries. The dentist may see several patients during the day, and if one of them is infected, they will spread the bacteria throughout the dentist’s practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may leave the bacteria on pens when filling out forms or using the credit card machine and all over the dentist’s tools and chairs. As a result, any other patients coming in contact with these contained surfaces will also experience an infection with the Enterococcus faecalis bacteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dentist should ensure that they clean their tools and chair after consulting with each patient. The front-house staff will also need to sterilize surfaces regularly to prevent the bacteria from transferring to other patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A root canal is an extensive procedure<\/a>, and the affected individual may spread the bacteria to the dentist. As a result, the dentist might not realize they have the infection for the first few days, and they could spread the bacteria to their patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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15. Infection Prevention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best way to avoid infection with Enterococcus faecalis bacteria is to practice preventative measures to avoid contact with the bacteria. The Enterococcus faecalis bacteria is microscopic, so it’s impossible to see it with the naked eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, if you work in clinical settings or go to the hospital for a procedure, make sure you carry hand sanitizer. Use the sanitizer after coming in contact with any surface. Ensure you wash your hands properly, and apply sanitizer after use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bacteria are surprisingly robust, and you’ll need to wash your hands with soap for several minutes to kill them. Since most people don’t wash their hands for this length of time, they fail to remove the bacteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, using hand sanitizer after washing your hands is the best strategy for killing any remaining bacteria on your hands. Clinical professionals should remember to wash and sanitize <\/a>frequently and change gloves before consulting with each patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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