Amanda Holden's daughter Lexi taken to hospital after contracting life-threatening infection

Amanda Holden has revealed her teenage daughter Lexi was taken to hospital after contracting the potentially-deadly E.coli infection. The 18-year-old is reported to have been hospitalised for five days after contracting the life-threatening infection while sitting her A-levels.

The family's ordeal was revealed by Holden in an interview with The Sun, in which she discussed warning signs to look out for amid the latest E.coli outbreak. Lexi, she said, had been suffering from bloating and stomach cramps. 

"For about three weeks, Lexi had been complaining of bloating and stomach cramps," she said. "She was not happy at all and in quite a lot of pain with her tummy. It was around the time of revision and her A-levels, so I was just putting this down to exam stress."

However, after blood and stool samples were taken by her GP, Amanda said results showed a bacterial infection - with government officials later contacting her while filming in Spain for details of where Lexi might have eaten and what kind of food they had stored in their home. Amanda said Lexi has VTEC E.coli, which is very rare in humans. 

However, the source of the infection remains a mystery, she added, despite even having her rabbits and cat checked after the doctor asked if she lived on a farm or had any livestock. 

Holden was also warned Lexi could have been in danger of contracting sepsis, which she said was "terrifying". She has been making repeated hospital visits since being released as medics monitor her condition, she said.

While most E.coli strains are harmless, A verotoxigenic E.coli, known as VTEC, is a harmful strain of a bacterium called Escherichia coli. It is capable of producing a toxin that can cause serious illness. 

Symptoms associated with E. coli usually present around two to four days after ingesting the bacteria and these may include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and fever.