can e coli cause seizures?

[justwanttohelp09]

My 16 yr old niece has been ill for 5-6 weeks following surgery . It was thought she had a twisted fat pad causing severe abdominal pain. When the doctor went in to remove it, they found nothing and removed her appendix anyway. The pain progressed into vomiting everytime she ate for a couple weeks. Then she began to pass out after eating, which has now progressed into seizure like episodes several times a day regardless of eating or not. She hs been extensively tested by neuro, cardio, gastro, EEG during "seizure" was negative as were all other tests. All doctors referred her to psych. Today, a urine test from several days ago came back positive for e coli. I know that e coli is usually responsible for UTI's , but could this be a more serious strain that she had from the onset or from post-op? I don't believe a stool test was ever done, though I think she had some diarrhea in the beginning.

[Stephen Liroff, MD]

I can only imagine E.coli causing a  seizures if it caused a high fever or if it had spread to her brain. A brain abscess is a problem that I am sure would have been discovered by this time if there was one. I think that she would be a lot sicker.
I hope that she has been evaluated by psychiatry by now. That so many specialists have suggested an emotional cause for her symptoms must be  respected and I would pursue their recommendations.
S.A.Liroff, M.D.

[angel2kids]

Can E.coli cause breast cancer?
Thanks