Food Poisoning: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Every year, about 76 million Americans get food poisoning. Many cases of food poisoning are mild, but some can be contagious or fatal. Here are the symptoms, causes and treatment of common types of food poisoning.
Causes of Food Poisoning
Food poisoning usually comes from improper handling, storage or preparation of food. Poor hygiene such as improper hand washing is a common cause of toxic bacteria in food. Raw meat or fish, or undercooked food may cause bacterial food poisoning or parasitic food poisoning, such as tapeworm infection. Food which is cooked, but stored too long, can also cause food poisoning.
Some types of food poisoning, such as norovirus, are contagious and can be transmitted from the infected individual to a healthy person.
Essentially, there are two types of food poisoning. These are:
- food infection
- food intoxication
Food infection is caused by bacteria and other microbes within the food. These organisms infect the host after the food is consumed. About 90% of food poisoning cases are due to food infection, including contamination by bacteria, viruses or parasites.
Food intoxication or toxicity results from the ingestion of toxins in the food. These include exotoxins, which are produced by cell decay as bacteria grow. Toxins may also also include pesticides or heavy metals such as lead or mercury. The metalloid arsenic can also contaminate food and water. Food intoxication can happen even when the microbe that produced the toxin is neutralized or no longer present in the body.
Symptoms of Food Poisoning
Bacterial Food Poisoning
Symptoms of bacterial food poisoning usually occur between twelve to 72 hours after consumption of the food, because the bacteria need time to grow. Below are the bacteria most often causing food poisoning, and the associated symptoms.
Salmonella
Salmonella causes intestinal inflammation and diarrhea. The symptoms are usually mild, but can be serious in infants and children, elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems. See: Salmonella Poisoning: Symptoms and Treatment.
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
The E. coli bacteria can cause acute hemorrhagic diarrhea, cramps. E coli infection can lead to kidney failure in children, elderly people or those with weak immune systems.
Clostridium perfringens, the “Cafeteria Germ”
C. perfringens often occurs in poorly prepared meat and poultry. Clostridium perfringens infection causes abdominal cramping and diarrhea.
Liked it
