Food Poisoning – Definition – Causes – Treatment And Difference Between Food Poisoning and Stomach Flu

Food Poisoning Definition:

Food-borne illnesses, more commonly known as food poisoning, is category of diseases that are brought about by eating or consuming contaminated food and drinks. Contaminated food or drink is defined as food and drink, which is infected with pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins or chemicals. Food can be contaminated through improper preparation, storage and treatment of food. Contamination can also occur because of unsanitary handling of food and beverages. Food poisoning can be mild or severe and sometime it can be fatal to cause death. The level of seriousness depends on the cause or the contaminant in the food or the beverage that is ingested by the victim.

Food Poisoning Statistics:

Food poisoning is not rare disease as a matter of fact it is very common and prevalent. In the United States alone, food poisoning cases reach alarming figures with about 48 million people being affected every year by food-borne illnesses, about 128,000 people are hospitalized because of food poisoning, and 3,000 people die from food poisoning. This estimates where the latest figures released by the CDC in 2011 and are deemed to be the most accurate. These only include the reported cases and there are many food poisoning occurrences that are not formally reported. the estimates provides information on known contaminants as well as cases where there is no known cause for the food poisoning. Countries in Europe, Asia and all over the world also have disturbing figures of food poisoning cases and global awareness for food safety has been a serious issue fro many national and international health organizations and institutions.

Signs and Symptoms of Food Poisoning:

There are more than 250 million food-borne illnesses that are known and experienced today. Food poisoning has a variety of symptoms depending on the cause of the contamination. There are no standard set of symptoms that pinpoint directly to a case of food poisoning though there are symptoms that are commonly observed in many food poisoning cases. These common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. These symptoms occur because generally the infection starts its course of spread in the gastro-intestinal tract. These signs and symptoms usually present themselves in a period of 48 hours after the patient consumed the contaminated food or beverage. These are classified as the mild or the primary symptoms and more serious symptoms may appear depending on the cause. The more serious signs and symptoms involve bloody stools, fever, dehydration, muscle weakness, lack of appetite and headache. Dehydration is a serious complication from diarrhea and vomiting which is very commonly occurs in many kinds food poisoning because the body loses too much fluid and electrolytes. The extent and severity of the symptoms experienced can be based not only on the kind of contaminant of the infected food and beverage but also on the amount of contaminated food or beverage that the person consumed. The symptoms can also depend on the organs and body systems which are affected by food poisoning. High-risk people who are affected by food poisoning have more serious cases and symptoms than ordinary people and they can be in more danger because of this. Pregnant women, the elderly, infants and children, people who are diagnosed with other medical conditions and illnesses, persons suffering from autoimmune diseases, and people with weak immune systems are all categorized under high risk cases for food poisoning.

Difference of Food Poisoning from Stomach Flu:

Food poisoning and stomach flu may be the same thing, their difference lies if the cause is food related contamination. Stomach flu will be considered food poisoning if it is caused by ingestion of contaminated food or drink. Stomach flu presented in a number of people eating in the same place or eating the same kind of food can be considered a food poisoning outbreak if all of them experience stomach flu as well as the other common symptoms of food poisoning. Stomach flu is generally regarded to be a simple case of intestinal illness that settles in 24 hours and if the stomach flu does not recede within that time and more symptoms appear which are under the common food poisoning symptoms, then it is recommended to call a doctor or get the patient to a medical facility to be diagnosed properly.

Causes of Food Poisoning and Food Poisoning Micro-organisms:

Food poisoning can affect almost all kinds of people, young or old, healthy or sick and this makes it very unpredictable as everyone can be victimized by food poisoning as it is caused by food. Micro-organisms that contaminate and infect food can be classified according to their incubation period in the food and drink. In short incubation periods amounting to less than 16 to 24 hours, there are chemical causes and bacterium causes of food contamination. With intermediate incubation of 1 to 3 days, food poisoning causes include pathogens such as

Bacteria Causing Food Poisoning:

• Campylobacter,
• Shigella spp,
• Salmonella
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus,
• E. coli (enterotoxigenic),
• Vibrio cholera,

Virus Causes Food Poisoning:

• viruses such as Norwalk,
• rotavirus and
• adenovirus Etc

Toxins Causes Food Poisoning:

• Clostridium botulinum.

All these pathogens, viruses, and toxins contaminate food and water and have serious and dangerous complications. In long incubation or 3 to 5 days period, food poisoning can be caused by bacteria such as Hemorrhagic E. coli and Yersinia enterocolitica. When it comes to very long incubation or period of about 1 month, food poisoning can be caused by parasites which produce diseases such as Giardiasis, Amoebiasis, Trichinosis, and Cysticercosis. It can also be caused by bacteria which produce diseases like Listeriosis, and Brucellosis. Viruses which cause diseases like Hapatitis A are also included. Protozoans that produce diseases like Toxoplasmosis and Prion which causes Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) also cause food contamination and food poisoning.

Ways of Preventing and Treating Food Poisoning:

There is this saying that prevention is better that cure. In food poisoning, preventive measures and safety in food handling are the best ways to avoid contaminated food and drinks. Here are some important reminders to prevent food poisoning. The most basic is to cook food thoroughly and properly particularly meat and eggs. Clean food and kitchen utensils or anything that is to be used for eating cooking and preparing food. Wash and rinse fruits and vegetables them carefully. Separate different kinds of food to avoid cross-contamination. Separate raw meat from cooked meat and use different utensils and cutting boards or wash them first before using on another food. Also ensure that leftovers are refrigerated right away.
Treatment for mild food poisoning can be simple and be done at home. The basic treatment involves preventing dehydration through drinking lots of water, rest and gradual eating. Medicines for diarrhea can also be given depending on a doctor’s prescription. In cases of serious food poisoning with more symptoms and complications such as fever, unconsciousness, severe vomiting and diarrhea and others, the person should be taken to a hospital for consultation with a physician. Cases of suspected food poisoning outbreaks involving many people who exhibit the symptoms by eating in the same restaurant or having the same foods should be reported immediately.