How to Avoid Those Food Borne Diseases
I have been thinking of writing on this topic for quite sometime now. The reason for writing this post is in no way to show my technical knowledge on the subject. Therefore, I am only focusing on things which anyone could follow to avoid food borne diseases.
Food borne disease is caused by consuming foods or beverages contaminated by viruses. The disease can range from a mild diarrhea to a severe botulinum. The most common source of food borne diseases is virus, more specifically rota virus. But the good thing is that this results in a milder diarrheal disease which is self limiting. This disease is more common in young children having age between 3 months to 2 years. Man is the only known source of the virus. The virus is found in the feces of an infected person and is shed in human waste. When a food is contaminated by this virus by hand, soil, or water, it is not easily killed during cooking. Therefore, it is very important to sterilize the milk bottle of children properly and not to use the remaining milk after 2 hours. Another food borne disease is caused by the Hepatitis A virus.
The first groups of bacteria causes infection by growing in the GI track and causing the disease. Salmonella and Campylobacter are bacteria causing the most food borne diseases. Salmonella is an intestinal bacterium that is commonly found on raw meats, poultry, eggs, and raw milk. One out of every 10,000 eggs contains this bacteria. It is a good practice to keep eggs in the refrigerator to avoid the growth of salmonella. The disease is usually characterized by headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, fever and loss of appetite. This bacteria is killed if the food is cooked at 73 C for few seconds. Campylobacter is found in intestinal tracts of chicken causing the contamination of raw poultry. Raw milk and non-chlorinated water can also be the source. Campylobacter causes a disease with an initial symptoms of fever, headache, and muscle pain followed by diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. These symptoms may appear 2 to 5 days after eating and may last up to 7 to 10 days. However, properly cooking chicken, pasteurizing milk, and chlorinating drinking water will kill the bacteria.
E. coli 0157:H7 is one of the hundreds of strains of E. coli normally found in the large intestine of warm blooded animals. It is found in ground meat and can also be found in acid products such as juices. Symptoms are usually characterized by severe abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and occasionally fever. However, the disease can become severe for children under 5 years of age and causes kidney failure.
Listeria monocytogenes is frequently found in soil, water and plant matter; and it has the ability to survive and grow in moist, cool locations such as refrigerators. Thorough cooking destroys this bacteria. It is commonly associated with highly processed foods. The infection is usually characterized by nausea, vomiting, headaches, delirium, coma, collapse, shock and lesions on vital organs. Listeriosis is a more severe illness affecting the old, very young, pregnant women and for people who are immuno-compromised. In pregnant women, the illness can cause a miscarriage or result in stillbirths. Therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to eat food what has been thoroughly cooked.
The next group of bacteria is the one which produces some toxin and the disease is caused by the toxin (known as intoxication). The most common one is Staphylococcus aureus. Humans are the most common source, but cows, dogs and fowl also can be a source. It is estimated that 40-50% of healthy adults carry staph. bacteria in nasal passages, throat, hands and skin. These bacteria also are found in infected cuts, boils, burns, abrasions and pimples. Therefore, it is very important to properly wash the hands before cooking (with no cut portion exposed). Staphylococcal food poisoning is usually characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, prostration, cramps, subnormal temperatures and lowered blood pressure. Symptoms appear within 30 minutes to 7 hours (2-4 hours is most common) after eating the contaminated food, and may last for up to 24-48 hours. The best method to avoid this intoxication is to keep any food out of 5 to 72 C range. This can also lead to more sever GBS (Guillain-Barre Syndrome) which results in attack of the peripheral nervous system by the body's immune system (auto immune disease causing paralysis)
Clostridium botulinum causes more severe botulism. Onset of symptoms is usually 2 to 36 hours after ingestion of food , but sometimes appear as few as 2 hours or as long as 8 days after eating. Signs are double vision, droopy eyelids, trouble speaking and swallowing, difficulty breathing and paralysis. It is often fatal. They occur in soils and marine water (intestinal tracts of fish and mammal, and in the gills and viscera of crabs and other shellfish). Clostridium bolulinum can form spores under adverse condition which can convert to vegetative cell once the conditions are normal. Thus, it requires very rigorous heat treatment to kill the spores of C. botulinum. One particular form known as infant botulism is associated with kids of under 1 year old age consuming honey or syrup like product. Therefor, it is best not to feed honey to the children upto one year. Infant botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum falls under toxicoinfection, meaning bacteria contaminate the food, they grow in GI track and produce toxins which causes the disease.
Other two important bacteria causing toxicoinfection are Clostridium perfringenes and Bacillus cereus. Both of these are also sporeformers (explained above). Clostridium perfringens is widely distributed in the environment and frequently occurs in the intestines of humans and many domestic animals. Clostridium perfringens can cause diarrhea and gas pains about 8 to 24 hours after eating. The illness usually lasts 1 day, but some symptoms may last 1 to 2 weeks for the elderly or very young. This bacteria is mostly associated with gravy product which has been given temperature abuse. An example would be cooked chicken with gravy which has been lest at 30-35 C for couple of hours (6-8 hrs). Therefore, it is recommended to always heat the meat product with gravy for very long before eating or to store them below 5 C. It is also associated with rice water.
Bacillus cereus food poisoning is the general description, although two recognized types of illness are caused -- diarrheal, and vomiting. It is mostly associated with cooked rice which has been left at 30-35 C for couple of hours. Its symptom is also sometimes known as Chines Restaurant Syndrome (CRS) because it is associated with fried rice in Chinese restaurant.
I know this is in no way a complete list of food borne diseases, but I have tried to put a few important ones. If one follows what has been recommended here, one could certainly reduce the risk of getting those diseases.
Food borne disease is caused by consuming foods or beverages contaminated by viruses. The disease can range from a mild diarrhea to a severe botulinum. The most common source of food borne diseases is virus, more specifically rota virus. But the good thing is that this results in a milder diarrheal disease which is self limiting. This disease is more common in young children having age between 3 months to 2 years. Man is the only known source of the virus. The virus is found in the feces of an infected person and is shed in human waste. When a food is contaminated by this virus by hand, soil, or water, it is not easily killed during cooking. Therefore, it is very important to sterilize the milk bottle of children properly and not to use the remaining milk after 2 hours. Another food borne disease is caused by the Hepatitis A virus.
The first groups of bacteria causes infection by growing in the GI track and causing the disease. Salmonella and Campylobacter are bacteria causing the most food borne diseases. Salmonella is an intestinal bacterium that is commonly found on raw meats, poultry, eggs, and raw milk. One out of every 10,000 eggs contains this bacteria. It is a good practice to keep eggs in the refrigerator to avoid the growth of salmonella. The disease is usually characterized by headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, fever and loss of appetite. This bacteria is killed if the food is cooked at 73 C for few seconds. Campylobacter is found in intestinal tracts of chicken causing the contamination of raw poultry. Raw milk and non-chlorinated water can also be the source. Campylobacter causes a disease with an initial symptoms of fever, headache, and muscle pain followed by diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. These symptoms may appear 2 to 5 days after eating and may last up to 7 to 10 days. However, properly cooking chicken, pasteurizing milk, and chlorinating drinking water will kill the bacteria.
E. coli 0157:H7 is one of the hundreds of strains of E. coli normally found in the large intestine of warm blooded animals. It is found in ground meat and can also be found in acid products such as juices. Symptoms are usually characterized by severe abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and occasionally fever. However, the disease can become severe for children under 5 years of age and causes kidney failure.
Listeria monocytogenes is frequently found in soil, water and plant matter; and it has the ability to survive and grow in moist, cool locations such as refrigerators. Thorough cooking destroys this bacteria. It is commonly associated with highly processed foods. The infection is usually characterized by nausea, vomiting, headaches, delirium, coma, collapse, shock and lesions on vital organs. Listeriosis is a more severe illness affecting the old, very young, pregnant women and for people who are immuno-compromised. In pregnant women, the illness can cause a miscarriage or result in stillbirths. Therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to eat food what has been thoroughly cooked.
The next group of bacteria is the one which produces some toxin and the disease is caused by the toxin (known as intoxication). The most common one is Staphylococcus aureus. Humans are the most common source, but cows, dogs and fowl also can be a source. It is estimated that 40-50% of healthy adults carry staph. bacteria in nasal passages, throat, hands and skin. These bacteria also are found in infected cuts, boils, burns, abrasions and pimples. Therefore, it is very important to properly wash the hands before cooking (with no cut portion exposed). Staphylococcal food poisoning is usually characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, prostration, cramps, subnormal temperatures and lowered blood pressure. Symptoms appear within 30 minutes to 7 hours (2-4 hours is most common) after eating the contaminated food, and may last for up to 24-48 hours. The best method to avoid this intoxication is to keep any food out of 5 to 72 C range. This can also lead to more sever GBS (Guillain-Barre Syndrome) which results in attack of the peripheral nervous system by the body's immune system (auto immune disease causing paralysis)
Clostridium botulinum causes more severe botulism. Onset of symptoms is usually 2 to 36 hours after ingestion of food , but sometimes appear as few as 2 hours or as long as 8 days after eating. Signs are double vision, droopy eyelids, trouble speaking and swallowing, difficulty breathing and paralysis. It is often fatal. They occur in soils and marine water (intestinal tracts of fish and mammal, and in the gills and viscera of crabs and other shellfish). Clostridium bolulinum can form spores under adverse condition which can convert to vegetative cell once the conditions are normal. Thus, it requires very rigorous heat treatment to kill the spores of C. botulinum. One particular form known as infant botulism is associated with kids of under 1 year old age consuming honey or syrup like product. Therefor, it is best not to feed honey to the children upto one year. Infant botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum falls under toxicoinfection, meaning bacteria contaminate the food, they grow in GI track and produce toxins which causes the disease.
Other two important bacteria causing toxicoinfection are Clostridium perfringenes and Bacillus cereus. Both of these are also sporeformers (explained above). Clostridium perfringens is widely distributed in the environment and frequently occurs in the intestines of humans and many domestic animals. Clostridium perfringens can cause diarrhea and gas pains about 8 to 24 hours after eating. The illness usually lasts 1 day, but some symptoms may last 1 to 2 weeks for the elderly or very young. This bacteria is mostly associated with gravy product which has been given temperature abuse. An example would be cooked chicken with gravy which has been lest at 30-35 C for couple of hours (6-8 hrs). Therefore, it is recommended to always heat the meat product with gravy for very long before eating or to store them below 5 C. It is also associated with rice water.
Bacillus cereus food poisoning is the general description, although two recognized types of illness are caused -- diarrheal, and vomiting. It is mostly associated with cooked rice which has been left at 30-35 C for couple of hours. Its symptom is also sometimes known as Chines Restaurant Syndrome (CRS) because it is associated with fried rice in Chinese restaurant.
I know this is in no way a complete list of food borne diseases, but I have tried to put a few important ones. If one follows what has been recommended here, one could certainly reduce the risk of getting those diseases.
posted by Prabhat Kumar at
5:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home