Woman Suffers 7-Year E. Coli Infection After Ex-Boyfriend Farts in Her Face
Christine Connell, a lawyer and social media influencer with over 67,000 TikTok followers, has gone viral for revealing the unusual cause of her seven-year-long battle with a persistent sinus infection. The story, which has captivated audiences online, began after a seemingly innocuous moment in a hotel room.
On April 30, 2025, Connell shared a video detailing her health struggles, which had left medical professionals puzzled for years. After numerous tests, a sinus culture finally revealed the presence of E. coli, a bacterium typically associated with gastrointestinal issues.
While E. coli is commonly contracted through contaminated food, Connell's case took an unexpected turn. She recounted an incident from seven years prior when her then-boyfriend farted directly in her face while she was recovering from ankle surgery. “It was terrible,” she recalled, “I couldn’t breathe.” This moment, she believes, may have led to her unusual infection.
“You usually don’t get E. coli in your sinuses because E. coli is from poop,” Connell explained in her video. “How does that get in your sinuses unless you have a boyfriend who farts disgustingly and you are forced to inhale it?” Her candid remarks have sparked both disbelief and intrigue among viewers.
@christinexploring I wish I were joking 😭
♬ original sound - Christine Connell
Despite skepticism from some commenters who suggested alternative explanations—like unwashed hands—Connell remains firm in her belief that the fart was the culprit. Initial treatments for her infection included nasal sprays and rinses, but these proved ineffective. As of May 13, she is now preparing for sinus surgery.
This isn’t the first time Connell has faced medical issues linked to flatulence; she also recounted a previous incident where a friend's fart led to a case of pink eye. “Maybe I’m just susceptible to E. coli,” she mused, “but I don’t have any immune issues according to tests.”
@christinexploring Replying to @Greg Lee ♬ 5 Minutes of Silence - Silenzio
While the likelihood of contracting E. coli from flatulence is low, experts note that it’s not entirely impossible if fecal matter is involved. In fact, a study conducted by Australian physician Karl Kruszelnicki in 2001 explored this very question. He had colleagues fart into petri dishes under different conditions—clothed and nude—to see if bacteria would grow.
The results were telling: dishes exposed to naked farts showed significant bacterial growth overnight, while those from clothed colleagues remained uncontaminated. “Our deduction is that the enteric zone in the second petri dish was caused by the flatus itself,” Dr. Kruszelnicki noted in the British Medical Journal.
