FOOD POISONING

   Foodborne illness, more commonly referred to as food poisoning, is an illness caused by eating contaminated, toxic or spoiled food and fluids or water that has been contaminated. Although it is quite uncomfortable, but food poisoning isn’t unusual. Food poisoning can affect a person or a group of people who ate the same food, it is more common after eating at picnics  social functions, or restaurants.
  Most Nigerians do not know what food poisoning is, and they go through the symptoms without knowledge of what is really the problem. This article will highlight the causes and symptoms of food poisoning.

CAUSES OF FOOD POISONING
   Contamination of food can ocour at any point during food production: from growing to, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparing. Organisms can also be transfered through cross-contamination and this occurs often. In the case of raw, ready too eat foods, such as salads, food poisoning can easily occur because,  these foods are not cooked and the harmful organisms are not  destroyed before eating and can cause food poisoning.
  Bacterias, viruses and parasites or their toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning.

1. Bacteria
  Bacteria is by far the most common cause of food poisoning. The culprit bacterias are E. coli, botulinum ( botulism ) , listeria, salmonella Campylobacter and C. They can lurk into our food through:

- Beef contaminated with feces during slaughter.
- Raw or contaminated meat, poultry, milk or egg yolk.
- Unpasteurized milk and cheese and other dairy products or food containing mayonnaise.
- Contaminated water that has not been treated.
- Canned food with low acidity and improperly canned foods and smoked or salted fish.
- Unwashed raw produce.
- Foods kept at warm temperatures for too long.
- Foods prepared using cooking utensils, cutting boards, and other tools that are not cleaned properly.
-  Meats, prepared salads  and cream filled pastries.
-  Hand contact, coughing and sneezing.
-  Undercooked or inadequate cooking

2. PARASITES
   Food poisoning caused by parasites is not as common as food poisoning caused by bacteria, but parasites spread through food are still very dangerous, because parasites can live in the digestive tract undetected for years. It poses a bigger threat to pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. The most common case of food poisoning through parasites is Toxoplasma which is found in cat litter. They can get into food by:
- Not keeping food hot enough or food is chilled too slowly or not reheated to the right temperature.
- Raw fruits or vegetables that have not been washed well.
- Meats, stews and gravies.

3. VIRUS
   Food poisoning can also be caused by a virus. Food poisoning causing virues includes the Norovirus, also known as the Norwalk virus which can be fatal,
Sapovirus, Astrovirus, Rotavirus, and the Hepatitis A virus. They can get into the food through:
- Shellfish from contaminated water.
- Raw oysters or seafood products.
- Through an infected food handler.
- Raw, ready to eat produce.
- Toxins in spoiled or tainted fish
- Undercooked meats or eggs.

FOODS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD POISONING
- Poultry
- Meats
- Eggs
- Unpasteurized milk or other fluids
- Cheese
- Dairy products
- Unwashed raw fruits and vegetables
- Nuts
- Spices
 
SYMPTOMS OF FOOD POISONING
   Typical symptoms of food poisoning are vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms from the most common types of food poisoning will often start within 2 - 6 hours of eating the food. They include:
- Abdominal cramps
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea (may be bloody)
- Mild fever and chills
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Weakness (maybe serious)
- Headaches
   The symptoms may be longer or shorter, depending on the cause of the food poisoning and the source of infection.
   Symptoms of potentially life threatening food poisoning include:
- Diarrhea persisting for more than three days
- Fever higher than 101.5°F
- Difficulty seeing or speaking
- Severe dehydration, which may include dry mouth and difficulty keeping fluids down
   If you experience any of these symptoms, you should contact a doctor immediately.

TREATMENT
  Teatment of food poisoning depends on the cause but, It is very important to contact a doctor if you think you have food poisoning, you might recieve antibiotic or antiparasite treatments once the cause is identified.
   Home remedies to soothe food poisoning symptoms may help speed recovery and include:
- Rest,
- Rehydration,
- Avoid alcohol , nicotine, fatty, and spicy food.
- Slowly begin to eat bland foods like rice and bananas.

   I hope you find the information on this article helpful, if so leave a comment.