Lethal Food Borne Illnesses To Avoid

Salmonellosis: Caused by consuming raw or uncooked poultry or eggs infected with the bacteria, Salmonella, Salmonellosis symptoms take almost 6 to 48 hours to begin. These symptoms typically include fever, chills, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea and can be quite severe in individuals suffering from diabetes or HIV. Diagnosis is mainly by laboratory tests and prevention involves using certain basic hygienic practices for cooking poultry products, milk and eggs.

Listeriosis: Listeria, a dangerous bacterium found in soil and water, causes Listeriosis, a serious public health problem in many countries across the globe. Typically affecting older adults (35-96 years), Listeriosis can produce mild flu-like symptoms in a pregnant woman but it can be fatal to her baby. Infection by the bacteria has been linked with cases of neonatal infection, still births and miscarriage. Apart from this, it can also cause respiratory distress, meningitis and jaundice in a person.

Campylobacteriosis:?You can acquire this ailment by eating undercooked poultry products or by drinking raw milk. A?widespread food-borne infection caused by certain species of campylobacter bacteria, Campylobacteriosis is claiming large numbers, even surpassing that of salmonella. Sometimes, transmission can also occur while handling infected animal feces. Symptoms may last for 7-10 days and includes diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Like salmonella, the only way to prevent this condition is by employing hygienic cooking modes and washing hands immediately after handling raw meat and poultry.

Botulism: Although rare, botulism cases and outbreaks have been reported in the past, caused by toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Improperly canned products with low acid content are often linked with this notorious ailment. To detect botulism, doctors usually perform a physical examination along with blood tests and stool tests. A person with this condition experiences symptoms like abdominal cramps, dry mouth, vomiting, double vision and respiratory distress. Preventive measures involve sterilizing home-canned foods by pressure cooking and discarding any bulging cans or foul smelling preserved foods.

Cholera: This acute intestinal infection is caused by contaminated food and water with case fatality rates as high as 50 percent. Annually, the condition accounts for around 100,000 to 130,000 deaths particularly in the developing nations. Both epidemic and endemic in nature, cholera symptoms include profuse painless diarrhea, vomiting of clear fluid, life-threatening dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Prevention is mainly aimed at using proper cooking sterilization methods and avoiding contamination of cooked foods by contact with raw foods.

E.Coli Infection: Certain strains of the bacteria E Coli can cause severe food poisoning in humans with symptoms like stomach cramps, vomiting, loss of appetite, and fever. This food poisoning may occur as a result of eating food prepared with unclean cooking utensils, raw fish, raw fruits and vegetables and uncooked meats or eggs. In order to ensure that you do not contract this disease, avoid buying any food products that have been called into question. To be extra sure, follow all possible methods of sterilization while cooking and avoid any kind cross-contamination of foods.

Hepatitis A: If you thought that this condition is spread only through direct contact with someone infected, you could not be more wrong. Recent cases of outbreaks have indicated that contaminated food is a major source of human infection with the hepatitis A virus. Common food sources include unwashed fruits, vegetables and shellfish.

Source: Centers for Disease control and Prevention, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Medline Plus, NDDIC,