All that you need to know about Food Borne Illnesses

Food-borne illnesses are a lot more common than you are aware. Worldwide, 125000 deaths occur every year due to food-borne illnesses, out of which as much as 40% are children below 5 years of age.

Food-borne illnesses in adults cost productivity and healthcare expenses, to the tune of USD 110 billion in second and third-world countries (Source: WHO). Food-borne illnesses impede economic development at a societal level, and overall well-being at an individual level. So what are the microbes or pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses, and how do they spread?

Common Food-borne illnesses

Salmonella

Type: Bacteria

Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Stays in the abdominal tract for a long time and can do damage. Is more severe in people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, young children and older adults.

Sources: Raw eggs, undercooked eggs, undercooked meat, undercooked poultry, raw fruits and vegetables, raw milk, unpasteurized milk, and sprouts that are exposed to air for long. Infected animals, food handlers who are ill and food-handlers who are unhygienic can also spread this infection.

Prevention: Cooking eggs, meat and poultry to the recommended temperature. Avoiding raw meat, raw seafood, raw milk and unpasteurized milk. Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly, peeling, cutting and then eating. Washing hands before handling or touching food.

Clostridium Perfringens

Type: Bacteria

Symptoms: Diarrhea and abdominal cramps

Sources: Cooked food that is exposed to the air, as in the case of street-food, buffet halls and even at homes if the food-containing vessels are not closed by a lid.

Prevention: Cook food thoroughly to a temperature above 140 deg Fahrenheit. Heat leftover foods to 165 deg Fahrenheit and above. Leftover foods should be refrigerated once they reach room temperature. Cooked food that is exposed to air for more than 2 hours in cold weather and 1 hour in hot weather should be thrown away.

Campylobacter

Type: Bacteria

Symptoms: Diarrhea

Sources: Raw or undercooked meat, Raw or undercooked poultry, contaminated water, contaminated fruits and vegetables, unpasteurized dairy products.

Prevention: Cook all meat and poultry products to the recommended internal temperatures. Fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw must be washed thoroughly and then peeled. Separate cutting-boards must be used for meat products, and fruits or vegetables. Untreated or contaminated water should not be consumed and must be thrown away. Hands must be washed before touching food.

Staphylococcus aureus

Type: Bacteria

Symptoms: Nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhea

Sources: Unpasteurized dairy products, processed meats, foods that are prepared by hand and consumed at room temperature – such as ham, eggs, macaroni, street food, tuna, potato, chicken, sandwiches, pastries, pies and salads.

Prevention: Keep foods in the recommended temperature zone (below 40 and above 140 deg Fahrenheit). People who prepare food that is consumed at room-temperature must wash their hands with soap and water before touching food. People who have any infection in their eyes, nose, throat, ears or skin should not prepare or handle food. Never pick up food or serve food with bare hands and always use spoons, forks and ladles for this.

Escherichia coli, especially the strain 0157: H7

Type: Bacteria

Symptoms: Severe food poisoning, which includes diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, stomach pain and fatigue.

Sources: Raw fish, undercooked meat, beverages at room temperature such as fruit juices, raw milk and unpasteurized dairy

Prevention: Meat and poultry must be cooked to the recommended internal temperature. Avoid consuming fruit juices outside the home. Avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat, and unpasteurized dairy. Kitchen platforms and cutting boards should be washed frequently and kept clean. Avoid swallowing water while swimming in pools, lakes, streams or ponds. If you have a cut or wound on your body, avoid contact with contaminated water.

Listeria monocytogenes

Type: Bacteria

Symptoms: all food poisoning symptoms. Pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, older adults and young children are more at risk than others.

Sources: Raw meat, unpasteurized dairy products, raw and cut vegetables or fruits, raw sprouts and refrigerated, ready-to-eat meat dishes.

Prevention: Cook meats to recommended internal temperature, fruits and vegetables must be washed and peeled before eating, reheat canned or refrigerated foods to temperature above 165 deg Fahrenheit. People who handle foods must wash hands before that. Cooked and uncooked foods should always be kept separate. Kitchen platforms, refrigerators and cutting boards must be washed regularly with soap water.

Norovirus

Type: Virus

Symptoms: Stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting

Sources: Most common type of food poisoning. Everybody would have been infected by norovirus at-least once in their lifetime. Fresh fruits and vegetables, ice cubes, biscuits, salads and sandwiches, which are touched by hand frequently.

Prevention: Food mentioned above should not be handled by people who have an infection of any sort. Healthy people also should wash their hands before touching food. The kitchen area including platforms, utensils, napkins and aprons, cutting tools, cutting boards and even grocery bags should be kept as clean as possible always. The kitchen area should be well-ventilated to drive away microbes from the air.

Toxoplasma gondii

Type: Parasite. Causes a condition called toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women, older adults, young children and people with weak immune systems are more at risk.

Symptoms:  Swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, body pains, blurred vision, eye-pain, redness or tearing in the eyes

Sources: Contaminated water, contaminated meat, contaminated kitchen knives or cutting boards, and coming in contact with the feces of an infected cat (for cat owners).

Prevention: Meat should be cooked to the right internal temperature, fruits and vegetables should be washed and peeled before eating, kitchen, cutting boards and knives must be kept as clean as possible always. Cat owners should wear gloves while throwing out the cat litter.

Others

Other food-borne illnesses that are less common but equally deadly include Hepatitis A, Cryptosporidiosis, Cyclosporiasis, Giardiasis, Scombroid Fish Poisoning, Shigellosis, Vibrio Infection and Yersiniosis. Prions which are infectious agents comprised of protein, naturally occurring toxins in fresh produce, persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in food can also cause food-borne illnesses.

Outlook

As is obvious from the above information, pathogens and parasites breed in unhygienic surroundings, either at home or outside. Maintaining a high level of personal hygiene, keeping the home hygienic and avoiding consumption of contaminated food and water are simple, yet highly effective ways of preventing food-borne illnesses.

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Reviewed by Dr Suresh S Venkita, Group Medical Director, Kauvery Hospitals

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Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

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