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Food Poisoning

Definition

Acute syndrome with nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea caused by ingestion of food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, viruses or toxins produced by bacteria.

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Description

At least one out of five Americans suffer food poisoning each year, and over 9,000 deaths are reported as a result. Food poisoning stems not from food additives, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides applied to food by growers or processors, but from poor food storage or handling practices in home or restaurant kitchens that cause food to become contaminated.

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Causes and Risk Factors

The symptoms of food poisoning are many, depending on the bacterium, mold, virus or toxin present in the food, and become evident from 2 hours to 5 days after eating tainted foods.

Three of the most important causes of food poisoning are the salmonella, clostridium botulinum and staphylococcal organisms.

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Salmonella

Salmonellosis, a disease that strikes at least 40,000 and up to 2 million Americans each year and kills from 500 to 2,000, is almost entirely preventable. Food poisoning caused by Salmonella bacteria, which gives victims flu-like symptoms for as long as a week, usually can be traced to careless food handling, improper cooking and incorrect cooling.

The spread of the Salmonella bacteria can best be prevented by monitoring the temperature at every stage of food processing. Fortunately, Salmonella does not spread easily, although victims can transmit it for a few weeks after they have been sick. It can be carried by any food of animal origin. For instance, milk was the culprit in a major Chicago-area outbreak, and chicken is frequently suspect because the large-scale processing can cause sanitation problems.

Because it is unlikely that Salmonella bacteria can be eliminated, consumer education is the main weapon against further outbreaks. Prompt refrigeration for all perishable foods, especially in warm weather, cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 140°F and refrigerating all leftovers at once to discourage the multiplication of bacteria are important precautions.

While food is the main carrier of Salmonella bacteria, kitchen surfaces, utensils and dishes are easily contaminated. For instance, if you put cooked meat on the same plate you used for raw meat, the cooked meat can be contaminated. Clean-up is crucial as well. Using a dishwasher reduces risk, and hand-washed dishes left to air dry are safer than those that are wiped dry. Even sponges and dishtowels can carry bacteria.

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Botulism

Botulism is an extremely serious form of food poisoning, usually caused by eating improperly canned foods which are contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Eating, or even tasting, the poisoned food can be fatal.

Unless strict precautions are followed, home-canned non-acid foods may be contaminated with the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Non-acid foods include vegetables, meat, poultry and fish; acid foods include fruits, tomatoes and pickles. These acid foods are usually safe.

The poison comes from tiny spores (seed-like structures with hard, heat resistant coverings) produced by the bacteria. The danger does not come directly from eating the bacteria; in fact, a lot of fresh food contains the bacteria and it passes harmlessly through the digestive tract when it is eaten.

However, in the absence of air (as in cans), Clostridium botulinum produce a toxin which is one of the most lethal human poisons in existence. Non-acid food canning, if improperly carried out, can provide perfect conditions for the production of this poison.

If you have a supply of non-acid home-canned food, you can make sure it is safe by following one simple precaution; boil before eating!

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Staphylococal Food Poisoning

This type of food poisoning is associated with abdominal cramps, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. It appears about 6 hours after eating food contaminated with an enterotoxin formed by the staph bacteria. Dairy products, pastries and fish are common foods harboring this organism. Outbreaks of staph food poisoning can usually be traced to unclean hands of those preparing food.

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Symptoms

The most common symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhea, watery stools, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Most food poisoning symptoms are mild, however, and can safely be treated at home.

    Salmonella. Food poisoning caused by Salmonella bacteria gives victims flu-like symptoms for as long as a week.

    Botulism. The first symptoms appear abruptly, usually 18 to 48 hours after the food was eaten. These symptoms include nausea, dry mouth, vomiting, abdominal pain and blurring of vision. The toxin has a paralyzing effect on the nervous system; it prevents the nerves from conducting messages from the brain. Control of the muscles is lost, beginning with those around the face and neck. Loss of the ability to swallow makes it impossible to eat. It leads to choking and may introduce foreign materials into the lungs. The victim usually dies within several days.

    If medical aid is quickly obtained and the correct diagnosis rapidly made, death can be avoided. A serum may be injected which is sometimes able to neutralize a portion of the toxin and limit further paralysis. This serum cannot help the nerves that are already damaged. The speed with which symptoms appear depends largely on the amount of toxin-containing food that is eaten.

    Staphylococal food poisoning. This type of food poisoning is associated with abdominal cramps, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. It appears about 6 hours after eating food contaminated with an enterotoxin formed by the staph bacteria. Dairy products, pastries and fish are common foods harboring this organism.

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Treatment

The most common treatment for simple food poisoning is simply supportive care, clear liquids, and, after vomiting or diarrhea subside, the gradual return to eating beginning with a bland diet.

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Questions to Ask Your Doctor

What are the usual symptoms of food poisoning?

Which symptoms are the most serious?

What kind of food poising is it?

What treatment do you recommend

Will a serum be needed?

What precautions do you recommend to prevent further attacks of food poisoning?

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