While America's food supply is the safest in the world, food poisoning is responsible for about 76 million illnesses each year in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that 60% or more of raw poultry sold today probably has pathogenic bacteria. Anyone eating food contaminated by bacteria, parasites or viruses can get food poisoning. Some factors such as age and physical condition can make some people more susceptible to food poisoning than others. Infants, pregnant women, elderly and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk.
For most people in good condition, food poisoning is usually long-lasting nor life-threatening. However, less healthy individuals can become a serious health threat, accounting for approximately 5,000 deaths each year.
The good news is that by taking simple precautions while buying, managing and preparing food can prevent most cases of food poisoning in the home.
What causes food poisoning? Food poisoning is most commonly caused by bacteria, parasites or viruses that may be present in the food that they ate. You may have heard the names of many of these organisms. They include Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium botulinum, Escherichia coli (e. coli), Shigella, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Trichinella and hepatitis A, just to name a few. May be present in a wide range of foods including red meat, poultry, milk and other dairy products, eggs, unpasteurised vegetable juices and ciders, spices, chocolate, seafood and even water.
These organisms may be present on your food when you bought it or can get into food including cooked foods, if the food comes into contact with raw meat juices over dirty dishes, chopping boards or countertops used to prepare contaminated food. That's why it is important not only to cook your food thoroughly, but to wash hands, utensils and countertops, before and after handling raw foods.
What are the symptoms? Symptoms vary depending on the type and quantity of contaminants ate. Some people may get sick after ingesting only a small amount of harmful bacteria, while others may remain free of symptoms after eating large quantities. The most common symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain (cramps), fever, headache and fatigue. Symptoms can develop just 30 minutes after eating contaminated food, but more commonly do not develop for several days or weeks. Symptoms of food poisoning, viral or parasitic may not appear for several weeks, while some toxins in fish may take only a few minutes to cause symptoms.
If you won't probably botulism, a fever and symptoms may include blurred vision, tiredness, dry mouth and throat.
How it is diagnosed with food poisoning Food poisoning is often suspected when several people get sick after eating the same meal. To diagnose the cause of the disease, your doctor will need to know your symptoms and what was eaten just before the disease has occurred. Your doctor may need samples of the food, vomiting or bowel movements. These samples can be tested in a laboratory to determine if the food has been contaminated and identify the organism that causes the disease.
How you treated? If symptoms are severe, the victim should consult a doctor or get emergency assistance. Treatment depends on the severity and the cause of food poisoning. In general, for mild cases of food poisoning, the doctor may want you to rest, drink fluids to prevent dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhoea and to follow a special diet. Usually it only takes about 1 to 5 days to recover from food poisoning.
If you have the botulism, the doctor will prescribe an antitoxin. Other types of food poisoning have no antidote. Antibiotics are not usually useful in the treatment of food poisoning. Medicine to stop the vomiting and stomach cramps may be granted.
Prevention is the best approach to avoid food poisoning can be prevented most cases of food poisoning. Below is a list of some simple Do s and Don ts help avoid foodborne illness at home.
? Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and countertops between different foods
?Do not hrefrigerate or freeze perishables (refrigerated temperature should be 40 ° f and the freezer 0 ° F)
? thoroughly cooking foods. Cook the beef, lamb and pork to an internal temperature of 160 ° F; whole poultry and thighs to 180 ° F; poultry breasts to 170 ° F, ground chicken or Turkey to 165 ° F
? hrefrigerate leftover foods as soon as possible; leftovers shouldn t remain unrefrigerated longer than 2 hours.
? While shopping for food, frozen and perishable goods, select like meat, poultry and fish-before check-out
? Use smooth hard maple chopping boards or plastic that are free of cracks and crevices
? store raw meat in watertight containers or on the bottom of hrefrigerator to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods
? Don t allow meat cooked, meat juices, or unwashed fruits and vegetables to come into contact with foods cooked or washed
? Don t buy frozen fish if the packages are opened, torn or crushed on the edges
? Don t buy food in cans that are bulging or smashed or in jars that are cracked
? Don t never buy food obsolete. Check dates by use by or sell
? Don t buy unpasteurized milk or dairy products
? Do not buy frozen products that do not appear at the correct temperature or hrefrigerated
? Do not let children put foods via unattended
More information on this topic important health can be obtained from the following sources: Gateway to Government Food Safety Information http://www.foodsafety.gov U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for food safety and applied nutrition [http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-food.html] food safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/consumerpubs.htm
Supported as an educational service from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. This information is not intended for use as medical advice. You should discuss this information with your doctor.
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