Four people in Kansas have been diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) a life-threatening condition arising from some E.coli infections that causes kidney failure, KCTV is reporting. The source of the illnesses is unknown at this time.
HUS usually affects children and teens but it adults can develop it, too. One of the case patients is a 20-year-old woman who was hospitalized and released.
About 5 percent of people with E.coli infections will develop HUS which causes damage to and premature destruction of red blood cells which clog the kidneys preventing their ability to filter blood. Treatment of HUS includes dialysis, plasma exchange and blood transfusions. Long-term complications of HUS include kidney problems and high blood pressure.
