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ChemicalRain5513 t1_jdclik6 wrote

Reply to comment by adx442 in Do insects have "meat" like other animals? I know that grubs, mealworms, etc. are eaten in some parts of the world, but if, for instance, beetles were the size of cows, could you butcher one and make beetle steak? by 9RFCat9

What I also don't understand is that E. coli can make you sick if it already lives in your guts. It seems counterintuitive to me that eating your own faeces can make you ill. Even though that's an image I don't want to have on my mind.

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adx442 t1_jdcojmh wrote

It lives in a very specific part of your intestines where other microbiota keep its growth in check and under control. Other places, like the small intestine, don't have that protection. If your large intestine gets perforated and the bacteria can escape directly into your bloodstream, you can develop sepsis and die pretty quickly.

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No_Constant8644 t1_jdd4p1j wrote

There are different strains of E. Coli. The strain in your gut is suited to that location and is kept in homeostasis within your body.

A different strain would not necessarily be kept in check by normal body processes and your immune system would likely see it as an illness thus causing the immune response (a.k.a. Symptoms of illness)

The same thing happens with yeast infections (e.g. thrush) yeast naturally lives on us, but when something causes our body’s to get out of balance it can allow for the yeast to multiply and take over where it normally would not.

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