Tag Archives: Transplant

UK student needs second kidney transplant 20 years after eating E. coli O157 contaminated cheese

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A student who almost died after eating a contaminated cheese sandwich as a toddler has been told she needs a second kidney transplant.

lois.reid.e.coliLois Reid fell desperately ill when she was two years old. But a transplant at the age of six meant she could live a normal life.

This year, however, the 22-year-old suffered kidney failure again.

And now she has to play a waiting game again for another donor organ.

In the meantime, she spends three days a week hooked up to a dialysis machine in hospital.

But despite her illness and the exhaustion it causes, Lois managed to complete her final year of college.

And she passed her last exam just three days after getting out of hospital.

Lois said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out I had passed. I phoned my mum and she just burst into tears.”

The family’s nightmare began after Lois fell ill after eating a sandwich with

home-made farmhouse cheese that was contaminated with E coli O157.

She was taken to Aberdeen Royal Children’s Hospital, where doctors found out her kidneys were failing.

Lois spent four years on dialysis, during which she suffered a stroke and frequent life-threatening infections.

Organ transplants are risky – pets and food can make them worse

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Keeping pets healthy can reduce infection risks for people who have received solid organ transplants and veterinarians should be seen as an integral part of the healthcare team.

That’s just one of the recommendations in a new supplement in the American Journal of Transplantation. Dr Robin K Avery from the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, said,

"Our paper aims to highlight the infection risks that transplant recipients experience in their daily lives. These include pet ownership, food safety, safe sex, sporting activities and work-related issues."

Those are some of my favorite activities, although not in that order.

* Wash hands frequently and thoroughly to prevent infections transmitted by direct contact, such as food, pets and gardening, even if gloves are used. Patients should avoid changing baby’s diapers if possible.

* Steer clear of foodstuffs like unpasteurised cheese, salad dressings made with uncooked eggs, raw seed sprouts, cold cuts and smoked seafood.

* Balance the psychological benefits of pet ownership with the potential infection risk. A variety of infections can be transmitted to humans from animals like young cats, reptiles, rodents, chicks and ducklings. Animal feces are also dangerous, so cleaning out cages and litter boxes should be avoided or disposable gloves and face masks worn. Ideally the transplant recipient should wait at least a year before getting a new pet.