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Sour smell of feces in babies: types of feeding, possible reasons for breastfeeding, pediatrician advice and advice from mothers. Stool in babies - deviations from the norm

The first year of a newborn's life is the most responsible, because it is in the first 12 months that all vital systems finish forming, the child is rapidly gaining weight and is actively growing. With this, undoubtedly, every parent who has already raised their children will agree, but young and not quite experienced people still know a lot and any incomprehensible manifestation worries and strains. For example, some ask questions: what does the sour smell emanating from the feces of a baby indicate, is this a symptom of the disease and is it necessary to consult a doctor in this case? Let's try to figure it out.

Normal newborn feces

The consistency of the stool, that is, the stool of an infant, can be used by healthcare professionals to assess the baby's overall health. And it is for this that experienced grandmothers carefully examine the feces of newborns, make sure that the feces do not exude a pungent odor.

Doctors can determine the following from fecal matter:

  • whether the gastrointestinal tract is developing normally;
  • is the intestinal microflora of the newborn normal;
  • whether the nursing mother and the baby receive a balanced diet.

Parents, on the other hand, before sounding the alarm, having felt the pungent smell of their child's feces, need to understand exactly what feces should be in newborns and how it changes depending on their age.

It should be noted that the sour smell of feces can be observed both in children on HB (breastfed) and IV (artificially fed), as well as in mixed-fed infants. If, after the child's bowel movements, the parents notice a very pungent odor, then this moment should seriously concern them. According to doctors, this is a serious signal that indicates a developmental abnormality, so a visit to a doctor should not be postponed for a long time. Depending on the age of the newborn, feces are considered normal:

In addition, it is worth noting that not only the smell of stool can change, the color of the baby's stool is also not constant. And this point is also important for a doctor who makes a diagnosis, for example:

  • a greenish tint of stool may indicate the development of an infectious disease;
  • the presence of foam most often indicates a lack of lactose;
  • saturated black stools almost always indicate that a serious illness is developing in the child's body.

Normally, the color of the baby's stool should be mustard brown, but even at this moment it is influenced by the food that the newborn received during the day.

Causes of sour stool odor in newborns

The famous doctor Komarovsky identifies several reasons due to which the baby's stool acquires a sharp, sour smell:

  1. Eating a nursing mother with carbohydrate-rich foods and excessive consumption of carbonated drinks.
  2. Improper functioning of the infant's gastrointestinal tract, as a result of which food cannot be digested normally.
  3. Hereditary diseases.

Only a doctor will be able to identify the cause of the pungent odor of feces after examining a small patient and obtaining the results of clinical tests. If the sour smell is caused by some pathology, the doctor will prescribe treatment based on the results. The treatment process will be effective only if the parents seek medical help in a timely manner. Of course, as already mentioned, a sharp, sour stool odor does not always indicate the development of a serious illness or a deviation in the development of a newborn. Quite often, a mother who is breastfeeding can help a child on her own if she starts to eat the recommended food products, completely excluding foods that can cause fermentative dyspepsia from the diet. It is imperative to introduce new complementary foods to children on IV or mixed feeding carefully, it is important to carefully monitor the reaction of the child's body. And, of course, you need to take into account that all children are individual and develop in their own way, which means that if something for one is a deviation, then for another it will be the norm.

An important indicator that helps diagnose intestinal diseases is the smell of feces. It can be affected by pathogenic microorganisms that cause food to rot. Normally, the smell should be unpleasant, but not harsh. If it is sour or rotten, it gives off strongly with ammonia, bleach, bitterness - this indicates a disturbance in the digestive tract.

Reasons for change

The smell of faeces depends on the food you eat. If a person eats a lot of meat, then the excrement smells more harsh. The aroma weakens when a lot of plant foods, dairy products, milk are included in the daily diet. Eating fish, garlic, onions, kvass can affect the smell. With diarrhea, the feces smell more pronounced, but with constipation, the aroma is practically absent.

Why does the smell change? This is influenced by microorganisms that live in the intestines. In case of any failure, they begin to develop rapidly, which leads to the growth of pathogenic microflora. As a result, bacteria poison the intestines with their toxins, which intensifies the process of food decay.

This can be caused by the following factors:

  • food allergies;
  • dyspepsia;
  • colitis;
  • liver disease;
  • enteropathy;
  • rotavirus or "intestinal flu";
  • dysbiosis;
  • inflammation.

In a healthy person, feces have a smell, while it does not give off rot. Defecation should be painless. It is unacceptable for the stool to be liquid and contain blood, mucus, pus. Should not change much: they are normally brown in both men and women.

What changes does the specific odor of the stool indicate?

A fetid and pungent odor of feces in an adult is observed when the pancreas does not work properly, in which bile does not enter the digestive tract.

The putrid and pungent odor of feces can manifest itself in diseases of the stomach associated with the consumption of large quantities of foods containing protein.

If it gives off something sour, this may indicate digestive problems. This sometimes happens after consuming carbohydrate foods, as well as drinks made using the fermentation process.

When the feces smell weak, this indicates insufficient digestion of food and the possible development of constipation.

With a smelly aroma, it indicates the decomposition of fats, but if the feces smell like rotten eggs (sulfur), this indicates poisoning with hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide.

The stool, which gives off vinegar, ammonia, rubber, ammonia, has a chemical aroma, is an indicator of the growth of bacterial colonies in the body. The ammonia smell is manifested by improper breakdown and assimilation of nitrogen. Sweetish - may appear when infected with cholera.

When feces smells like acetone, we are talking about the possible development of diabetes mellitus, improper nutrition (fasting, eating a large amount of protein foods, fats, lack of carbohydrates), heavy physical exertion, alcohol abuse.

Sour stools in children

If it gives off something sour from children's feces, then the reason may be associated with the development of the disease. We are talking about the following pathologies:

  • fermentation dispersion;
  • colitis;
  • dysbiosis;
  • problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

The sour smell of feces in babies does not always indicate a serious problem. Sometimes this is triggered by a banal stomach upset in the baby. This can manifest itself both in a child on HB (breastfeeding) and when feeding with artificial formula. Mixed feeding can also affect this, after the introduction of the infant up to a year of complementary feeding.

The sour smell of feces in a child under 2 years old indicates a possible food allergy. If vomiting and fever are observed, these are symptoms of rotavirus infection.

What if the child has no smell at all? You shouldn't panic because of this. For example, for a newborn, this is a completely normal phenomenon that is observed in the first 2-3 days of his life. Primordial excrement (meconium) is dark green or tar-colored and does not smell at all. The baby's bowel movements also do not have a characteristic odor after prolonged use of antibiotics.

Stool change in adults

The appearance of an unusual aroma - putrid, sour, bitter or smacking with something metallic - is an indicator of a serious illness in the body or a violation of the usual digestive process.

The most common cause of strong and odd odors is changes in the intestinal flora. A sour smell can appear when eating a large amount of plant foods. Feces begin to stink of rot with a lack or complete absence of digestive enzymes in the intestines. Excrement that gives off glue can be observed with dysentery. The appearance of an abnormal odor may be accompanied by bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and flatulence. With these symptoms, it is important to make an appointment with your doctor to find out the cause.

Diagnostics and analyzes

To prescribe treatment, a chemical analysis of the excrement must be performed. Identification is of great importance in making a diagnosis. These include leftover fat or muscle fibers from meat products.

When a change in the properties of feces is accompanied by other symptoms, the doctor prescribes an ultrasound examination of the intestine, EGD, MSCT of the abdominal cavity, and sometimes a biopsy of the small intestine.

Prevention and nutrition

If poor digestion is the cause of the odd stool odor, the patient will have to follow a special diet. It is necessary to remove smoked dishes, fatty meats, spices and hot sauces from the diet. Another important condition is a complete rejection of alcohol.

Taking antibiotics will help get rid of the infection. For food administration, medications are prescribed that can relieve intoxication. If no infection has been found, then the patient will need to eat properly and take vitamins.

To avoid problems with digestion and bowel movements, it is important to properly process food. The meat should be thermally stimulated, and the vegetables should be rinsed well. It is necessary to consume enough clean water per day. It is best to exclude soda and fresh juices from the diet. The work of the digestive system is improved by physical activity, so do not forget about daily exercises, which can be done at home.

Wastes of the human body come out in the form of feces with the remnants of undigested food, enzymes, bile pigments, bacteria. Stool normally has a neutral, non-irritating odor. The stench of feces appears in the event of problems of a different nature: nutritional characteristics or pathological processes. Stool odor can be corrected by changing the diet. But if the problem persists, this is a reason for consulting a doctor.

Reasons for odor change

The fetid odor of feces appears in an adult most often due to the rotting processes inherent in certain foods, such as onions and garlic. These are natural phytoncides, antibiotics that destroy pathogenic microflora in the intestines. Therefore, their use in food leads to intestinal sanitation and the appearance of a putrid odor. In addition, legumes, cabbage, fatty foods and chemical additives (stabilizers, flavor enhancers, preservatives) give a specific sharp aroma. However, with proper nutrition, the putrid smell of feces indicates serious disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system, including:


What changes in the body does the smell of feces indicate?

Quite often, by the smell of feces, doctors may suspect a particular disease that flows latently and does not give other symptoms. For example, a stench is observed when the pancreas malfunctions due to blockage of the access of bile into the digestive system. This is accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth. The smell of rot indicates a pathology of the stomach, which is not able to digest proteins. The sour aroma indicates the predominance of fermentation processes in the intestines. A faint stool odor suggests constipation. There are also specific signs of disease, which are determined by the appearance of feces and their aroma:

  • The putrid aroma of oily feces may indicate the decomposition of undigested fats.
  • Feces, smelling of sulfur (the smell of a rotten egg), signal about poisoning with sulfur-containing compounds or an increase in putrefactive processes in the intestines associated with the abundant reproduction of bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide.
  • The smell of vinegar, ammonia, ammonia, rubber is also a sign of an increase in the number of pathogenic flora in the intestines.
  • A pungent ammonia aroma speaks of a violation in purine metabolism, kidney pathology, and non-assimilation of nitrogen.
  • The sweet smell of stool is one of the hallmarks of cholera.
  • If the feces smell like acetone, this indicates problems with the pancreas and the development of diabetes mellitus. But at the same time, the smell of acetone occurs during excessive physical exertion, hard drinking, fasting, lack of carbohydrates in the diet.
  • Feces with a pungent odor of rotten fish indicate the possibility of infection with worms or a urogenital infection caused by gardnerella.
  • Glue-scented feces indicate dysentery.

It should be noted that all these signs are not a sufficient reason for diagnosis, but only allow one to suspect certain problems. That is why, if a pungent odor appears during bowel movements, it is better to consult a doctor and undergo a full examination.

Sour stools in children

Normally, a child under one year old has practically odorless feces. The sour aroma of feces indicates a pathology of the digestive system, dysbiosis, fermentative diarrhea. The sour smell of feces in a baby does not always indicate a disease. It can be triggered by physiological diarrhea with HB (breastfeeding), feeding not quite suitable mixtures with artificial or mixed feeding, the introduction of complementary foods.

The specific sour aroma of a newborn's stool may indicate a food allergy, in a child under 2 years old - about a rotavirus infection, but at the same time fever and vomiting join. In the first days of life, the baby's feces do not smell at all. This is the original tar-colored meconium, for which the absence of odor is the norm. The feces of a one-year-old baby are odorless and after antibiotic therapy is a child's physiological feature.

Fecal odor in adults

Poor stool aroma: bitter, metallic, sweet indicates a possible pathology of the digestive tract. Changes in the balance of intestinal microflora lead to a strange and very strong odor. The stool may even smell like bleach, glue, acid, rot. Infectious lesions of the gastrointestinal tract also change the aroma of feces. In this case, the terrible smell of feces is combined with symptoms of general intoxication, bloating, flatulence, dyspepsia, and pain. Impurities may appear in the feces: pus, blood, blotches of undigested food, muscle fibers. Here we can talk about the appearance of iodophilic microflora: staphylococci, enterococci, Escherichia coli, yeast fungi. They change the shade of stool when interacting with foods containing iodine. In endemic regions, iodization is mandatory. In any case, it is necessary to consult a specialist to clarify the reason. The smell, consistency and color of feces also change after taking some medications, for example, after consuming smectas, a sharp-smelling feces resembling plasticine come out.

Diagnostics

There is a special algorithm for examining patients with an unpleasant stool odor. For the correct diagnosis and the appointment of adequate treatment, it is necessary, first of all, a chemical analysis of the stool. An important diagnostic study is a coprogram, a microscopic examination of excrement for the content of muscle fibers and other undigested food residues.
In addition, a study of the enzymatic function of the stomach is carried out, lactase deficiency is excluded. Check the condition of the gallbladder, pancreas. Sometimes a blood test is required, both general and biochemical, and serological. In accordance with the symptomatology, EGD, MSCT of the abdominal organs, biopsy can be prescribed. Home treatment without an accurate diagnosis and professional advice can lead to undesirable consequences and dangerous complications.

Prevention of digestive disorders

Most often, poor digestion requires an individual diet with restriction of smoked, salty, spicy foods. It is recommended to remove seasonings and sauces, fatty meats and alcohol from the diet. The drinking regime is of great importance: at least 1.5 liters of clean water per day. For prophylactic purposes, the foci of chronic infection are sanitized with the help of antibiotics, sulfonamides, and their combination. Prescribed drugs that relieve symptoms of intoxication, vitamin therapy. The work of the digestive system is brought into proper condition by physical education, sports, an active lifestyle. Quitting bad habits, combined with these simple rules, allows a person to restore health and not have digestive problems in the future.

Normal bowel movements in a newborn - what is it like?

The first thing that new mothers and fathers need to know and remember: the baby's stool depends on his (and therefore his mother's) nutrition and age, and can also be completely different for different children. And this means that it is incorrect to compare the feces of older children and infants, our own and other people's children. In addition, babies who are breastfed have different stools from those who eat formula.

Do not be alarmed if in the maternity hospital, in the first days of life, the child has frequent yellow-green watery stools. It is completely normal to have watery stools. This substance is meconium (original feces), which is replaced by gray-green feces after 2-3 days. Meconium, which has a watery consistency, looks like tar or machine oil and is odorless.

So what's a good baby's stool? The norm for a baby who is breastfeeding is:

  • mushy consistency;
  • yellowish golden;
  • the smell is sweetish, reminiscent of milk, or sour, like cottage cheese or yogurt;
  • the norm with a frequency of bowel movements is approximately equal to the number of feedings (more than 5 times per day), in children older than 3-4 months - 1-2 times a day, usually in the morning.

If the baby does not poop for a long time, there is no stool, or the frequency of bowel movements is low, this may indicate an insufficient calorie intake. And if there are foamy stools with a pungent odor and the frequency is several times a day - it's time to see a doctor!

Over time, feces with a watery consistency in infants become thicker and more uniform, as the digestive system matures. In very young children, 1-2 months old, the stool is frequent, watery, usually with white patches, but not rare. This behavior of the gastrointestinal tract in infants is considered the norm.

Some babies who are breastfeeding have a greenish color with a watery consistency. As a rule, this indicates an immature digestive system and an underdeveloped liver. If this phenomenon does not become permanent, then treatment is not required - the case when the infant outgrows the problem.

Liquid or so-called "sour" feces with a watery consistency sometimes appear in babies on the days when teeth are teething. This is also normal and does not require medical intervention.

Stool of the child after the appearance of complementary foods in the diet

At 6-10 months, the baby's diet, in addition to mother's milk, appears other food - the so-called complementary foods. During this period, the baby's already liquid stool can change dramatically - many have yellow-tinged diarrhea or constipation, the color and smell of poop changes. What to do for mom in this case: do not worry and monitor bowel movements (remove new foods if they cause serious stool disturbances). It is better to start complementary foods with cereals, since the child's body usually reacts to vegetables with diarrhea. It is also better to wait with fruit.

After the baby's stomach gets used to complementary foods, the stool becomes thicker and brown.

Breastfeeding: abnormal stool

It is important for parents to remember that the first signal that something is abnormal with the baby's digestion is his behavior, not feces. If the baby is cheerful, cheerful and does not have a tummy ache, there is no point in worrying. What else can you do?

Dark, frequent stools

Dark feces usually appear in infants when a lot of foods containing iron appear in the diet. This situation does not require correction. If there were no such additives, and the stool is dark, you should see a doctor to rule out cases of intestinal bleeding.

Mucus in feces

A slimy consistency with shiny streaks appears in the stool of a baby due to:

  • allergies;
  • infections;
  • lack of enzymes in the body;
  • improper diet (if eats only the front, more liquid and less nutritious, milk).

IMPORTANT! If frothy or watery, frequent stools with mucus persist for more than 2 days, or if other symptoms, such as fever, develop, you should see your doctor.

Pieces of food in your baby's bowel movements and discoloration of stools

Brown banana strings or blueberry skins can be seen in baby poop. Sometimes feces change color. For example, orange - appears if a baby has eaten carrots, red - beets or tomatoes. Orange feces are common. If the situation is permanent, then the child's gastrointestinal tract cannot cope with the load and a pediatrician consultation is needed. The shade of orange in stool is affected by the work of bile. The alarm should be from colorless stool, not from an orange tint.

White or green feces

White feces are considered if baby poop is chalk or light gray. This is a strong signal that the infant is unable to digest food. The reason may be improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract or insufficient amount of bile in the liver.

Green feces, on the other hand, are considered a variation of the norm. Usually appears after the introduction of vegetable complementary foods (pot or broccoli), as well as if the baby is additionally given preparations with iron.

Foamy stool

A nursing baby has frothy stool for three reasons:

  • the stomach does not digest any food. Complementary foods that cause frothy feces should be removed from the diet for a while;
  • intestinal infection. In this case, additional symptoms appear - fever, frothy green diarrhea, vomiting, bloody feces;
  • imbalance of front and back milk. In this case, the infant feels well, gains weight, but the stool is liquid, foamy, and also suffers from colic and gas. Front milk is thinner and also contains a lot of lactose. The baby's pancreas is not able to completely digest this enzyme, so dysbiosis and other problems arise. To remove frothy feces, the mother needs to either give the baby the breast until it is completely empty, or express some of the milk and feed it backwards.

It is worth noting here that sometimes children who are breastfeeding suffer from the so-called lactose deficiency, when the body does not digest lactose well, resulting in foamy stool. It can be hereditary and acquired due to malnutrition. In both cases, the main symptom is the presence of more than 1% of carbohydrates in the stool. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the baby should be given a lactose-free mixture.

Diarrhea in babies

Diarrhea in babies who are breastfeeding is even more dangerous than in adults. It not only strongly irritates the fragile gastrointestinal tract in infants, but also quickly dehydrates the body.

In infants, diarrhea is watery, just like water, sometimes frothy, and may even flow out of the diaper. Shade - yellow, brown. The frequency of foamy bowel movements increases.

The causes of frothy yellow diarrhea with a frequency of a couple of times a day, if breastfeeding, are very different - from a banal infection to allergies or other serious diseases. In any case, if it has been observed for the second or third time, a doctor's consultation is imperative.

Constipation

Hard feces are a rare problem when breastfeeding is mother's milk than diarrhea. Constipation, which requires the intervention of a pediatrician, looks like this:

  • appears systematically, several rare bowel movements in a row;
  • the baby, when pooping, strains heavily, cries;
  • poop looks like hard pellets;
  • blood is visible on the feces due to damage to the anus.

The doctor, after examination and analysis, as a rule, adjusts the diet, and may also prescribe special medications to normalize the infantile's rare stool. If feeding with breast milk, and constipation appears after the introduction of complementary foods, it may indicate an intolerance to some product by the baby. In this case, you need to remove "new items" from the menu.

Stool for babies by months of life

A small calendar of the baby's chair will come in handy for young mothers and fathers:

  • Infant in the first 2-3 days of life. Meconium is NORM. If it does not appear, you should feed the newborn with colostrum from a pipette, otherwise infant jaundice may appear or the baby will begin to lose weight. Dark stools during the night occur at a frequency of up to several times;
  • Infant up to 1-1.5 months. If breastfeeding is yellow feces, in frequency - more than 4 times a day, the volume each time is slightly more than a teaspoon, the consistency of liquid cottage cheese or sour cream. The baby has a liquid, soft, yellow or mustard-colored feces, sometimes with red streaks, a sweetish smell or, conversely, reminiscent of sour milk;
  • Breastfeeding baby from 1-1.5 months to the first feeding (usually at 6 months). The frequency of "bobbing" by the baby is different, but in any case, the intensity becomes less. The shade and consistency can also be any: as long as it does not bother the baby, there is no problem;
  • after the introduction of complementary foods. A nursing baby has feces similar to an adult, the frequency is 1-2 times every few days. Everything is normal except diarrhea, constipation, as well as uncharacteristic frequent stools with an unnatural odor (frequent frothy, with mucus, of a different color), which lasts for a long time, especially in combination with fever or pain.

Stool usually has an unpleasant odor, but it is an odor that is common and unremarkable. The offensive stool has an unusually strong, putrid odor. In many cases, foul-smelling stool is associated with the foods you eat and bacteria that have colonized your colon. But fetid feces can also indicate serious health problems. Diarrhea and flatulence (gas) can accompany fetid feces. Such faeces are often soft or thin, and there is no regular bowel movement.

Causes of a foul-smelling stool

Changes in your diet are often the cause of fetid feces. Another common cause is chronic disturbance of digestion, absorption and transport in the small intestine ( malabsorption)... Enteropathy (chronic diseases of the small intestine) occurs when the body is unable to absorb the required amount of nutrients from the food you eat. This usually occurs when there is an intestinal infection or disease of the intestinal mucosa that prevents the absorption of nutrients from food.

Common causes of malabsorption

  • Celiac disease - a reaction to gluten with damage to the lining of the small intestine and impaired absorption of nutrients
  • Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or colitis
  • Carbohydrate intolerance - the inability to digest sugars and starch
  • Food allergies, such as milk protein

A common symptom of malabsorption is fetid diarrhea.

  • If you have inflammatory bowel disease, your reaction to certain foods is fetid diarrhea or constipation, flatulence. The gases can also have an unpleasant odor.
  • Bowel infections can also be accompanied by foul-smelling feces. Soon after the infection develops, abdominal cramps may occur, followed by foul-smelling, loose stools.
  • Certain medicines can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. If you are allergic to ingredients, food additives, then taking some multivitamins can also lead to feces with an unpleasant odor. An unpleasant smell of stool can occur after a course of antibiotics and hold on until the normal bacterial flora of the intestine is restored.
  • Foul-smelling diarrhea can be a side effect of an overdose of multivitamins or any single vitamin or mineral. Diarrhea associated with multivitamins or medication overdose is a sign of a medical emergency. High doses of vitamin A, D, E, or K can cause life-threatening side effects.
  • Other conditions that can lead to foul-smelling feces include chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and short bowel syndrome (the surgical removal of part of the small intestine that interferes with the absorption of nutrients).

Signs of fetid feces

Symptoms that can be associated with fetid feces include:

  • Liquid stool (diarrhea)
  • Soft feces
  • Frequent bowel movements
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomit
  • Flatulence
  • Bloating

Foul-smelling feces may be a sign of a serious medical condition... See your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Blood in the stool
  • Black chair
  • Pale stools
  • Fever
  • Abdominal pain
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Chills.

How is fetid feces diagnosed?

Fetid feces are diagnosed by your doctor after answering questions about your feces such as

  • consistency
  • when you first noticed an unpleasant smell
  • how frequent the urge
  • what has changed in your diet (take a good look at what you ate before your stool turns smelly), foods you recently started eating.

Forecast

The health prognosis depends on what caused the foul-smelling stool. Most of the conditions that cause foul-smelling feces are curable. However, conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease will require lifelong dietary changes and drug therapy.

Prophylaxis

Making necessary dietary changes can help prevent fetid stools. If your bowel disease is related to a reaction to certain foods, your doctor can create a diet plan that's right for you. A well-balanced diet can help reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and foul-smelling stools.

Avoid foodborne bacterial infections through proper food preparation. There are no dietary restrictions, it is important to cook beef, poultry, pork and eggs in such a way as to exclude their bacterial contamination. Don't drink raw (unpasteurized) milk. Do not cook meat and vegetables on the same cutting board. Preparing them on the same board can lead to contamination of vegetables with salmonella or other bacteria. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat and using the toilet.