Reports on November 4, 2009 afternoon had Elton John exiting the hospital that day.

Elton is reportedly getting better after contracting bacterial infection E.Coli and a severe bout of influenza, and is hoping to resume his touring commitments in two weeks after cancelling a number of upcoming shows.

His spokesperson said: "He is recovering from a case of serious influenza with minor complications. We are confident he will be back on stage in the near future. He doesn't like letting his fans down."

Guess they're forgetting about the early 80s.

However, while he is planning to rejoin Billy Joel for their joint tour on November 14, 2009, friends warn he may be out of action for a longer period. One friend said "The feeling is Elton will be out of action for four weeks. His voice has temporarily gone and he has been having severe coughing bouts, so there is no way he can play concerts for a while."

Most strains of E. coli are perfectly harmless and live happily in the gut without causing any problems. But some - particularly E. coli 0157 - can be deadly. Britain's worst recorded outbreak was in 1997, when 20 people died after eating contaminated food at a church lunch in Strahclyde. In 2008, 950 cases were confirmed in England and Wales and this year the bug was again in the headlines after an outbreak at a petting farm in Surrey.

E.coli is powerful stuff - fewer than 100 of the bacteria can trigger symptoms, which can range from mild diarrhoea to internal bleeding and kidney damage. Children, the elderly and anyone with a weakened immune system are the most likely to develop complications.

Other than getting plenty rest and fluids, as Elton will be as he recovers at the King Edward VII in Marylebone, London, there is no treatment for E.coli infection. Rehydrating salts which restore levels of sodium, potassium and glucose will help, but antibiotics don't work and there is some evidence they increase the risk of nastier complications such as kidney failure. It is recommended to avoid medicines to combat diarrhoea as they will stall recovery.

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