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Forward:
A number of people cycle through
the lists, and the chatrooms, and the message boards that claim that they
can't eat normal food because they get various bad symptoms after eating.
Since I have no way of knowing whether they're just experiencing food poisoning
or if they've actually checked things out thoroughly, I don't feel it's my
place to say, either way. :)
However, I can offer some illustrative examples
of food poisoning so that you have a better chance of figuring it out. As
always, how sick someone gets from bad food (I've seen extremes of hardly
effected to laid up for a week feeling like they want to die) will depend
on your immune system, and your current state of health, nutritional and otherwise.
Basic food poisoning information:
An estimated 55% of (USA) food poisoning cases are caused by improper cooking
and storage of foods, and 24% by poor hygiene (not washing hands before handling
food). Only 3% of cases are from an unsafe food source. Keeping your hands
clean while working with food is the single most important thing you can do
to prevent food poisoning.
Several organisms can cause food poisoning. After eating food contaminated
with bacteria, the bacteria multiply in the stomach and the bowels. Some bacteria
give off a toxin when they multiply. As a result, nausea, vomiting, abdominal
cramps and diarrhea commonly occur. Vomiting and diarrhea are the body's way
of eliminating the toxin. Although the experience is unpleasant, most common
cases of food poisoning run their course without needing medical attention.
Most cases of gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps
and diarrhea) are due to viral infections and are not true cases of food poisoning.
Diagnosis of true food poisoning is difficult because many different organisms
are found in different kinds of food and all have different incubation periods.
Not all food poisoning organisms cause vomiting as a symptom but almost all
organisms cause diarrhea. Blood in the stool is seen in several types of food
poisoning and is considered a serious symptom. Abdominal cramps are common,
even if vomiting is not present. Fever is infrequent but may be seen. Contact
a doctor if a fever or bloody stools are present.
Eating a substance and getting sick immediately afterwards is not the typical
course for food poisoning. Most people are not aware that food eaten several
days previously can be the cause of food poisoning. As with any illness, the
symptoms you actually get will vary according to the variety of food-borne
pathogen encountered, and the resistance of the individual to such illnesses.
When should you see a doctor
because of food poisoning?
Young children, elderly people and people with severe medical conditions
are at a highest risk of dehydration (from diarrhea and/or vomiting) due to
food poisoning. Contact your doctor if there is:
- Diarrhea lasting longer than 24 hours
- Vomiting lasting longer than 12 hours
- Blood in the stool
- Fever
- Vomiting and diarrhea that are so intense that severe
muscle cramping and pain occurs
- An inability to keep down any liquids at all for
12 hours.
How can you prevent food-borne
pathogens?
The first step in preventing food poisoning is to assume that all foods may
cause food-borne illness. Follow these steps to prevent food poisoning:
- Wash hands, food preparation surfaces and utensils thoroughly
before and after handling raw foods to prevent recontamination of cooked
foods.
- Wash hands thoroughly after using the bathroom.
- Keep refrigerated foods below 40 degrees F.
- Serve hot foods immediately or keep them heated above
140 degrees F.
- Divide large volumes of food into small portions for
rapid cooling in the refrigerator. Hot, bulky foods in the refrigerator
can raise the temperature of foods already cooled.
- Remember the danger zone is between 40 degrees F and
140 degrees F.
- Follow approved home-canning procedures. These can be
obtained from the Extension Service or from USDA bulletins.
- Heat canned foods thoroughly before tasting.
- When in doubt, throw it out!!!
If you are in the food service profession, reading this should help you understand
why it's a requirement to ALWAYS wash your hands after using the bathroom.
Here is a listing of the more common causes of food poisoning cases. There
is a glossary of selected terms at the bottom of this page.
Remember: This is not a complete list
- only common causes!
BACILLUS
Incubation period: 8-16 hours
Duration: Up to 24 hours
Symptoms:
Cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
Cause:
Bacillus Cereus: Anaerobic bacteria that produce spores and are found in soil
and any food. This bacteria causes two forms of illness - the emetic variety
(making you throw up), and the diarrhea version.
BOTULISM
Incubation period: 12-36 hours - death
can occur within 24 hours if severe infection
Duration: 30-100 days, sometimes as long
as a year
Symptoms:
Sore throat, vomiting, slurred speech, double/blurred vision, cramps, dry
mouth, diarrhea, weak muscles and difficulty breathing. This toxin affects
the nerves and if untreated, can cause paralysis and respiratory failure.
Cause:
Clostridium botulinium: Anaerobic bacteria that form spores with a high resistance
to heat. Found in animal intestines, water contaminated with fecal matter,
and soil. Spores are highly resistant to destruction. Pressure cooking at
240° F (120° C) for 30 minutes can kill spores. The bacteria (not
the spores) are readily destroyed by boiling at 212° F (100° C) for
10 minutes or heating to 176° F (80° C) for 30 minutes.
Notes:
Fatality rate (untreated) is up to 25%. Diagnosis can be complicated by being
confused with other muscle weakness disorders such as Guillain-Barre syndrome,
myasthenia gravis, polio, encephalitis, diphtheria, and various adverse drug
reactions, etc. Accurate diagnosis is essential!
CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS
Incubation period: 2-10 days
Duration: 7-10 days, relapses common
Symptoms:
Diarrhea (often bloody), abdominal cramping and pain, nausea and vomiting,
fever, tiredness, headache
Cause:
Campylobacter jejuni, C. fetus, and C. coli are the types that usually cause
campylobacteriosis in people. C. jejuni causes most cases of the illness.
E. COLI
Incubation period: 2-5 days
Duration: up to 9 days, commonly about
4 days
Symptoms:
Abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, grossly bloody diarrhea described as "all
blood and no stool", abdominal pain described as equal in intensity to
labor pains, vomiting (occasional), tiredness
Cause:
Escherichia coli is a common organism found in the intestinal tract of man
and animals and, like some other potential pathogens, it is also readily found
in damp, ambient temperature environments e.g. soil, vegetation, moist or
wet areas in factories, untreated water etc. There are many types and strains
of E.coli, a few of which are potentially pathogenic. It grows when there
is inadequate cooking and/or recontamination of cooked product. Can grow at
refrigeration temperatures.
Notes:
In 2% to 7% of cases, the bacteria may cause kidney failure.
ERGOTISM
Incubation period: Varies by individual
Duration: Varies by individual
Symptoms:
Hallucinations, convulsions, gangrene of extremities
Cause:
Ergot: a mold that grows on wheat and rye. Also found in pesticides on fruits
and vegetables, cyanide in silver polish, zinc inside tin cans and copper
pans.
HEPATITIS, INFECTIOUS A/E
Incubation Hep A: 2-6 weeks / Hep
E: 10-50 days
Duration Hep A: 3-9 months / Hep
E: 6 months or more
Symptoms:
Jaundice, fever, cramps, nausea, lethargy
Cause:
Hepatitis A/E: grows in feces of infected humans and human carriers. Transmitted
by water and from person to person and infects the liver.
PERFRINGENS
Incubation period: 8-22 hours
Duration: Commonly 24 hours, but can be
up to 2 weeks
Symptoms:
diarrhea, nausea, cramps, possible fever, vomiting (rare)
Cause:
Clostridium Perfringens: spore-forming anaerobic bacteria that can withstand
most cooking temperatures and are found in soil, dust and the intestinal tract
of animals. The only way to kill the spores is to pressure cook at 15-pounds
steam pressure to reach 250 degrees (F).
Notes:
The necrotic enteritis form is very rare in the USA, but when it occurs, is
often fatal.
SALMONELLA
Incubation period: 6-48 hours
Duration: 5-7 days
Symptoms:
Headache, severe diarrhea, cramps, fever. Can be fatal or lead to arthritis,
meningitis and typhoid.
Cause:
Salmonella: Aerobic bacteria that lives and grows in the intestines of humans,
animals, birds and insects. Commonly an issue with eggs or egg products. Bacteria
can be found on the eggshell as well as inside the egg.
SHIGELLOSIS
Incubation period: 12-48 hours
Duration: 5-7 days
Symptoms:
Watery or bloody diarrhea, cramps, fever, dehydration. Tiredness, nausea and
vomiting. Diarrhea may last for months after the disease is no longer there.
Cause:
Shigella dysenteriae, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei: Outbreaks of
shigellosis frequently occur in tropical or temperate climates, especially
in areas with severe crowding and/or poor hygiene, which sometimes occur in
day care and institutional settings. Some people have no symptoms but can
still pass the bacteria to others. An extremely low number of organisms (10-100)
is needed to transmit Shigella.
STAPHYLOCOCCUS
Incubation period: 1-7 hours, 2-4 being
most common
Duration: 2-3 days
Symptoms:
Vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, cramps
Cause:
Staphylococcus aureus: Facultative bacteria found in the nose, throat, and
in skin infections of humans. Bacteria CANNOT be destroyed by heat. Man's
respiratory passages, skin and superficial wounds are common sources of S.
aureus. Commonly found in foods requiring a lot of physical handling such
as chicken/tuna/potato salads, and anything left in the temperature "danger
zone" for too long.
STREPTOCOCCUS
Incubation period: 1-4 days
Duration: Unknown
Symptoms:
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Cause:
Various species of Streptococcus bacteria which are facultative anaerobes.
Some are transmitted by animals and workers contaminated with feces, others
from the nose and throat of infected humans.
Notes:
Untreated strep infections can lead to rheumatic fever, which itself runs
the risk of rheumatic heart disease when it attacks the heart valves (if it
damages the heart valves seriously enough, you WILL require eventual heart
transplant) , as well as other complications.
TRICHINELLOSIS
Incubation period: 4-28 days
Duration: mild symptoms, 2-3 weeks. Severe
symptoms, 2-3 months - can be fatal
Symptoms:
Fever, diarrhea, sweating, muscle pain, vomiting, skin lesions
Cause:
Trichinella Spiralis: a spiral worm that lives in the intestines where it
matures and lays eggs and later invades muscle tissue. Transmitted by infected
swine and rats. Once infected, the worms lay eggs in the intestinal tract.
Once they hatch, the larvae migrate throughout the muscles. Swelling, generalized
pain, fever, heart problems and other symptoms will develop at that point.
Notes:
Factors that may impact morbidity are the quantity of larvae ingested, the
species of Trichinella (most notably T spiralis), and the immune status of
the host patient. Patients succumb to exhaustion, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism,
encephalitis, or cardiac failure and/or arrhythmia. Death from trichinellosis
usually occurs in 4-8 weeks but may occur as early as in 2-3 weeks.
TYPHOID FEVER
Typhpoid incubation: 3-56 days, commonly
7-14 days
Paratyphoid incubation: 1-10 days
Duration: 4 weeks
Symptoms:
Headache, severe diarrhea, cramps, fever. Can be fatal or lead to arthritis,
meningitis and typhoid.
Cause:
Salmonella Typhi: Aerobic bacteria that lives and grows in the intestines
of humans, animals, birds and insects.
GLOSSARY:
Aerobic: Growing or thriving only in
the presence of atmospheric oxygen.
Anaerobic: An organism, such as a bacterium,
that can live in the absence of atmospheric oxygen. Not requiring air or oxygen
for life; -- applied especially to those microbes to which free oxygen is
unnecessary
Facultative: Capable of functioning under
varying environmental conditions. Used of certain organisms, such as bacteria
that can live with or without oxygen.
This article is presented as part of an ongoing effort to present other views outside of, as well as within, the online vampire community. Those of us who consider ourselves vampiric don't always look at things from the same viewpoint due to our life experiences. As such, the views and opinions contained in this article are entirely those of the author(s), and may not necessarily be shared by SphynxCatVP. The webmaster is not under obligation to update or otherwise keep current the contents of this article. Most importantly, only you can decide for yourself whether this article or any of the author(s) other views are useful or applicable to you - you are responsible for using your own reasoning and judgement, so judge wisely.
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