The Full StoryThere are more than 250 types of food poisoning. It's no wonder that one in six Americans gets food poisoning every year Show
The causes of foodborne illness range from amebiasis and anthrax to vibrio and yersinia. They include bacteria, viruses, pesticides, natural toxins, molds, parasites, and more. But most people don't want an encyclopedia of food poisoning (though such things exist). They just don't want to get sick Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about foodborne illness:
What foods cause the most cases of food poisoning? The foods most often involved in cases of food poisoning are leafy vegetables, dairy, fruits and nuts, poultry, vegetables that grow on vines or stalks, beef, eggs, pork, grains and beans, and root vegetables. The foods most often involved in food poisoning deaths are poultry, dairy, vegetables that grow on vines or stalks, fruits and nuts, leafy vegetables, pork, eggs, fish, and beef. Who gets food poisoning? Anyone who eats contaminated food is at risk. Food poisoning is especially dangerous for some groups of people, though:
What are the symptoms of food poisoning?
What are the most common causes of food poisoning? Here are common causes of food poisoning in the US.
Botulism is a rare but dangerous type of foodborne illness. Botulism is caused by bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. These bacteria produce spores. Botulism spores are found in soil, sediment in bodies of water, and in a number of animals. Under the right conditions, sealed off without oxygen, the spores then produce a toxin. Botulism toxin affects the nervous system. In the US, there are about 145 reported cases of botulism each year. About 15 percent are foodborne botulism. About 65 percent are infant botulism. About 20 percent are wound botulism. (Wound botulism is not caused by eating contaminated food.) Infant botulism and foodborne botulism have different sources, but effects and treatment are the same.
What about mushroom poisoning? Some mushrooms are poisonous, even if they are not contaminated by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Many kinds of wild mushrooms are poisonous to humans and to pets. Without special training, there is no reliable way to tell the safe ones from the harmful ones.
Do fish cause foodborne illness? The puffer fish may be poisonous, even if it’s not spoiled by bacteria or viruses. Some fish and shellfish swallow toxins, so their flesh is poisonous to eat. Others cause illness because of spoilage, even though there are no clues that the fish is spoiled.
How does food become contaminated? Food can become contaminated at many points from its origin to your table. Here are just a few:
How can I prevent food poisoning? Remember: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill! No matter how complicated the topic, home cooks need to do just a few things to keep their food safe. FoodSafety.gov recommends four steps:
These tips lead to a few other common-sense actions:
And finally, remember that food doesn't last forever. If something’s been lurking in your fridge, do NOT taste it to see if it’s OK. Check your left-overs against the chart provided by foodsafety.gov. How can I tell if I have food poisoning? If more than one person gets sick after the same meal or event, food poisoning is a possibility. Otherwise, it can be hard to tell. Food poisoning can look like a lot of other illnesses, especially if the symptoms are mainly nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. A few foodborne illnesses have characteristic symptoms: an allergic-type reaction from scombroid fish poisoning, reversal of hot and cold sensations from ciguatera fish poisoning, and hallucinations from some types of wild mushrooms and from some weeds (Datura species) mistaken for greens. What should I do if I get food poisoning? At first, treatment will be fluids to prevent dehydration. If someone can’t hold fluids down - no matter why - call a health care provider. Sometimes, a trip to the emergency room for IV fluids will be needed. If symptoms don’t go away on their own within a couple of days, call your health care provider. If food poisoning is possible, specific tests might be done. A few types of food poisoning, if confirmed by testing, can be treated with antibiotics. Otherwise, treatment is according to the symptoms the patient is having. Should I report food poisoning? You should report possible food poisoning. Public health officials want to figure out if other people are at risk of getting sick. They also want to prevent future episodes of foodborne illness.
What do food recalls mean? A food recall means that a product is removed from sale. Sometimes, it means alerting consumers to check their own cabinets, refrigerators, or freezers for recalled food. Food is recalled for a few reasons:
Most food recalls happen when a company finds a problem with one of its products. Sometimes, people get sick and the FDA learns about it from health departments or the CDC. Or, FDA or USDA may uncover a problem while inspecting a facility. The type of public notice depends on how serious the potential problem is. A major threat to public health involves contacting the media so that as many people as possible hear about it; updates are provided as needed. On the other hand, if a product is recalled before being sold, or if the recall is less serious, the recall may only be listed on a web site. Where can I find out about food recalls?
Take-Home Messages:
Rose Ann Gould Soloway, RN, BSN, MSEd, DABAT emerita Call 1-800-222-1222 or
HELP ME online Consumers can prevent many episodes of food poisoning by handling food carefully at home.The most important things to do are: Case 1: A 4-year-old child was fed undercooked meat. She developed diarrhea and abdominal pain. Over 5 days, her symptoms got worse; her diarrhea became watery and bloody. The child was admitted to the
hospital. Stool cultures were performed and were positive for E. coli. The bleeding was so severe that the child required multiple blood transfusions. Eating any food caused severe pain. She was fed intravenously for about 1 week to give her gastrointestinal tract time to heal. The child remained in the hospital for 17 days until her symptoms resolved and she was able to go home. Case 2: A 38-year-old woman developed slurred speech and difficulty
swallowing. She came into the hospital where she was diagnosed with botulism. The antitoxin was ordered from the Centers for Disease Control. While waiting for the antitoxin to arrive, the patient’s symptoms worsened. She became progressively weaker and was unable to control her eye movements. Her symptoms stopped getting worse once the antitoxin was given. Over the next 7 days, her muscle weakness improved. She was able to swallow pureed food and so was discharged home to make
a complete recovery. The botulism was traced to improperly home canned peaches. Case 3: A family of 7 people ranging in age from 6 years to 44 years ate frozen barracuda that they purchased from a local grocery store. The next day, all 7 patients developed itching all over their bodies, leg pain and cramping, burning sensations in their palms of their hands and soles of their feet, and numbness of their extremities. They were all seen in the hospital where
their symptoms were treated with antihistamines and gabapentin, a medication given for this type of pain. Over the next month, the symptoms improved for all of the patients except one. Her symptoms continued to be severe and debilitating. The health department arranged for testing of the fish that had been saved in the freezer. As a result, family members were diagnosed with ciguatera poisoning. Symptoms from ciguatera poisoning can last for many months in severe cases. For More Information
ReferencesLampel KA, Al-Khaldi S, Cahill SM, editors. Bad Bug Book: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook, second edition. Rockville, MD: Food and Drug Administration. 2012. Painter JA, Hoekstra RM, Ayers T, Tauxe RV, Braden CR, Angulo FJ, et al. Attribution of foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths to food commodities by using outbreak data, United States, 1998–2008. Emerg Infect Dis [Internet]. 2013 Mar. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Incidence and trends of infection with pathogens transmitted commonly through food – Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 US sites, 1996 – 2012. MMWR 2013:62:283-287. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Parasites - Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma infection): Toxoplasmosis frequently asked questions (FAQs); [updated 2013 Jan 10; cited 2013 Mar 20]; [about 5 screens]. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pathogens causing US foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths, 2000-2008; [2012 Jan; cited 2013 Mar 18]; [about 2 screens]. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Botulism General Information Frequently Asked Questions. [updated 2010 Nov 11; cited 2013 Apr 7]; [about 5 screens]. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition [Internet]. Rockville (MD): U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Foodborne illnesses: what you need to know; [updated 2013 Mar 16; cited 2013 Mar 18]; [about 2 screens]. U.S. Food and Drug Administration [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Food and Drug Administration. News release, March 22, 2013. “FDA approves first Botulism Antitoxin for use in neutralizing all seven known botulinum nerve toxin serotypes; 2013 Mar 22 [cited 2013 Apr 7]; about 2 screens]. Call 1-800-222-1222 or HELP ME online Consumers can prevent many episodes of food poisoning by handling food carefully at home.The most important things to do are: Case 1: A 4-year-old child was fed
undercooked meat. She developed diarrhea and abdominal pain. Over 5 days, her symptoms got worse; her diarrhea became watery and bloody. The child was admitted to the hospital. Stool cultures were performed and were positive for E. coli. The bleeding was so severe that the child required multiple blood transfusions. Eating any food caused severe pain. She was fed intravenously for about 1 week to give her gastrointestinal tract time to heal. The child remained in the hospital for 17
days until her symptoms resolved and she was able to go home. Case 2: A 38-year-old woman developed slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. She came into the hospital where she was diagnosed with botulism. The antitoxin was ordered from the Centers for Disease Control. While waiting for the antitoxin to arrive, the patient’s symptoms worsened. She became progressively weaker and was unable to control her eye movements. Her symptoms stopped getting
worse once the antitoxin was given. Over the next 7 days, her muscle weakness improved. She was able to swallow pureed food and so was discharged home to make a complete recovery. The botulism was traced to improperly home canned peaches. Case 3: A family of 7 people ranging in age from 6 years to 44 years ate frozen barracuda that they purchased from a local grocery store. The next day, all 7 patients developed itching all over their bodies, leg pain
and cramping, burning sensations in their palms of their hands and soles of their feet, and numbness of their extremities. They were all seen in the hospital where their symptoms were treated with antihistamines and gabapentin, a medication given for this type of pain. Over the next month, the symptoms improved for all of the patients except one. Her symptoms continued to be severe and debilitating. The health department arranged for testing of the fish that had been saved in the freezer. As a
result, family members were diagnosed with ciguatera poisoning. Symptoms from ciguatera poisoning can last for many months in severe cases. What are the six signs of food poisoning?Food Poisoning Symptoms. Upset stomach.. Stomach cramps.. Nausea.. Vomiting.. Diarrhea.. Fever.. How long does food poisoning last?How long does food poisoning last? Most of the time, food poisoning passes within 12 to 48 hours. That's how long it takes for a healthy body to purge the infection. It may last longer if you have a weakened immune system, or if you have a parasite that needs to be treated with antibiotics.
What are the 1st signs of food poisoning?Most types of food poisoning cause one or more of the following signs and symptoms:. Nausea.. Vomiting.. Watery or bloody diarrhea.. Abdominal pain and cramps.. Fever.. What helps food poisoning immediately?Stop eating and drinking for a few hours. Try sucking on ice chips or taking small sips of water. You might also try drinking clear soda, clear broth or noncaffeinated sports drinks. You might also try oral rehydration solutions if you have severe dehydration symptoms or diarrhea.
What is the best medicine to treat food poisoning?In some cases, adults can take over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide link (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate link (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate) to treat diarrhea caused by food poisoning.
What are the three main symptoms of food poisoning?Food poisoning symptoms
diarrhea (loose stools) nausea (feeling sick or queasy) vomiting.
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