Food Poisoning

Every year, an estimated 7 million Americans suffer from cases of food borne illness. Some cases are violent and even result in death. Of course this is commonly known as "food poisoning." The culprit is food that has dangerously high levels of bacteria due to improper cooking or handling.

"Food poisoning" is a general name given to illnesses contracted by consuming contaminated food or water.

The micro-organisms responsible for illness are bacteria, viruses and fungi, commonly called "germs" or "bugs". But illness can also be caused by chemical contaminants (such as heavy metals), toxins produced by the growth of some micro-organisms (eg. Staphylococci bacteria) and by a variety of organic substances that may be present naturally in foods (such as certain mushrooms and some seafood).

Generally food poisoning results from contamination of food and the subsequent growth of food poisoning micro-organisms.

Most food poisioning effects (symptoms) on body clear up in a few days on its own. In the case of continued illness seek medical advice. Children, elders, pregnant women, and the persons who use antacids heavily are at more risk of getting food poison.

Food Poisoning Symptoms

Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of contaminant and the amount eaten. The symptoms can develop rapidly, within 30 minutes, or slowly, worsening over days to weeks. Most of the common contaminants cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. Usually food poisoning is not serious, and the illness runs its course in 24-48 hours.

• Viruses account for most food poisoning cases where a specific contaminant is found.
  
  
  • Norwalk virus: Causes a mild illness with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache and low-grade fever. These symptoms usually resolve in 2-3 days. It is the most common viral cause of adult food poisoning and is transmitted from water, shellfish, and vegetables contaminated by feces, as well as from person to person.
  
  
  
  • Rotavirus: Causes moderate to severe illness with vomiting followed by watery diarrhea and fever. It is the most common cause of food poisoning in infants and children and is transmitted from person to person by fecal contamination of food and shared play areas.
  
  
  
  • Hepatitis A: Causes mild illness with sudden onset of fever, loss of appetite, and feeling of tiredness followed by jaundice, which is a yellowing of the eyes and skin. It is transmitted from person to person by fecal contamination of food.


• Bacteria can cause food poisoning 2 different ways. Some bacteria infect the intestines, causing inflammation and problems with normal absorption of nutrients and water that leads to diarrhea. Other bacteria produce chemicals (known as toxins) on food that are poisonous to the human digestive system. When eaten, these chemicals can lead to nausea and vomiting, kidney failure, and even death.
  
  
  • Salmonellae: Causes moderate illness with nausea, vomiting, crampy diarrhea, and headache, which may come back a few weeks later as arthritis (joint pains). In people with impaired immune systems (such as people with kidney disease or HIV/AIDS or those on chemotherapy for cancer), salmonellae can become a life-threatening illness. It is transmitted by undercooked foods such as eggs, poultry, dairy products, and seafood.
  
  
  
  • Campylobacter: Causes mild illness with fever, watery diarrhea, headache, and muscle aches. Campylobacter is the most commonly identified food-borne bacterial infection encountered in the world. It is transmitted by raw poultry, raw milk, and water contaminated by animal feces.
  
  
  
  • Staphylococcus aureus: Causes moderate to severe illness with rapid onset of nausea, severe vomiting, dizziness, and abdominal cramping. This contaminant produces a toxin on foods such as cream-filled cakes and pies, salads (most at risk are potato, macaroni, egg, and tuna salads, for example) and dairy products. Contaminated potato salad at a picnic is common if the food is not chilled properly.
  
  
  
  • Bacillus cereus: Causes mild illness with rapid onset of vomiting, with or without diarrhea and abdominal cramping. It is associated with rice (mainly fried rice) and other starchy foods such as pasta or potatoes. May also be used as a potential terrorist weapon.
  
  
  
  • Escherichia coli (E coli): Causes moderate to severe illness that begins as large amounts of watery diarrhea, and then turns into bloody diarrhea. There are many different types of this bacterium. The worst strain can cause kidney failure and death (about 3-5% of all cases). It is transmitted by eating raw or undercooked hamburger, unpasteurized milk or juices, or contaminated well water.
  
  
  
  • Shigella (traveler’s diarrhea): Causes moderate to severe illness with fever, diarrhea containing blood or mucus or both, and the constant urge to have bowel movements. It is transmitted in water polluted with human wastes.
  
  
  
  • Clostridium botulinum (botulism): Causes severe illness affecting the nervous system. Symptoms start as blurred vision. The person then has problems talking and overall weakness. Symptoms then progress to breathing difficulty and inability to move arms or legs. Infants and young children are particularly at risk. It is transmitted in foods such as home-packed canned goods, honey, sausages, and seafood.
  
  
  
  • Vibrio cholerae: Causes mild to moderate illness with crampy diarrhea, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fever with chills. It strikes mostly in the warmer months of the year and is transmitted by infected, undercooked, or raw seafood.
  
  
  


• Parasites rarely cause food poisoning. When they do, they are usually swallowed in contaminated or untreated water and cause long-lasting but mild symptoms.
  
  
  • Giardia (beaver fever): Causes mild illness with watery diarrhea often lasting 1-2 weeks. It is transmitted by drinking contaminated water, often from lakes or streams in cooler mountainous climates.
  
  
  
  • Cryptosporidium: Causes moderate illness with large amounts of watery diarrhea lasting 2-4 days. May become a long-lasting problem in people with poor immune systems (such as people with kidney disease or HIV/AIDS or those on chemotherapy for cancer). It is transmitted by contaminated drinking water.
  
  
  


• Toxic agents are the least common cause of food poisoning. Illness is often an isolated episode caused by poor food preparation or selection (such as picking wild mushrooms).
  
  
  • Mushroom toxins: Illness can range from mild to deadly depending on the type of mushroom eaten. Often there is nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some types of mushrooms produce a nerve toxin, which causes sweating, shaking, hallucinations, and coma.
  
  
  
  • Ciguatera poisoning: Causes moderate to severe illness with numbness of the area around the mouth and lips that can spread to the arms and legs, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and weakness, headache, dizziness, and rapid heartbeat. It is transmitted by eating certain large game fish from tropical waters—most specifically barracuda and jacks.
  
  
  
  • Scombroid: Causes mild to moderate illness with burning around the mouth and lips, a red rash to the upper body, dizziness, headache, and itchy skin. It is transmitted in seafood, mostly mahi-mahi and tuna, but can also be in Swiss cheese.
  
  
  
  • Pesticides: Cause mild to severe illness with weakness, blurred vision, headache, cramps, diarrhea, increased saliva, and shaking of the arms and legs. Toxins are transmitted by eating unwashed fruits or vegetables contaminated with pesticides.

Some of the most severe food poisoning can result in long-term illness and death. However, most food poisoning is not serious. Most people begin feeling better within 24-48 hours. Queasiness or nausea and slight diarrhea may stay for 1-2 days longer.

You should go to a Doctor if

• the symptoms (signs) of food poisoning last for more than two days even after home

• there is a fever with or without shivers or chills

• there is a diarrhea that is very watery (If enough fluid is lost through diarrhea or vomiting, it can affect the body's salt balance )

• there is blood mixed in with the stools (could be due to E. Coli and other common food-borne pathogens)

• there is pus or mucus (whitish-gray in color) mixed in with the stools

• there are signs of dehydration (intense thirst, dry lips and tongue, increased heart and breathing rates, weakness, and dizziness.)

• anyone else in your family is also sick with similar symptoms.