| What is Food Poisoning?Food poisoning results | | | | ground beef until no pink is showing. Make |
| when you eat food contaminated with bacteria | | | | sure all of the meat juices are clear, not |
| or other pathogens such as parasites or | | | | pink or red, and that the inside of the meat |
| viruses. Your symptoms may range from upset | | | | is hot. If you are served an undercooked |
| stomach to diarrhea, fever, vomiting, | | | | hamburger in a restaurant, send it back. |
| abdominal cramps and dehydration. Most such | | | | Consume only pasteurized milk products, and |
| infections go undiagnosed and unreported.But | | | | drink only water treated with chlorine or |
| the Center for Disease Control and Prevention | | | | other disinfectants.Botulism is caused by |
| estimates that each year about 76 million | | | | clostridium botulinum, a spore-forming |
| people in the United States become ill from | | | | bacteria. This form of food poisoning is very |
| pathogens in food, and about 5,000 of them | | | | rare, but can be life-threatening. It may |
| die.Over 55% of such cases are caused by | | | | result from eating improperly processed, |
| improper cooking and storage of foods, and | | | | low-acid foods such as green beans, |
| 24% by poor hygiene, such as not washing your | | | | mushrooms, spinach, olives and beef or fish. |
| hands while preparing food. Only 3% of cases | | | | Improper home canning methods often account |
| are from unsafe food sources. Keeping your | | | | for botulism cases. Improperly processed |
| hands clean while working with food is the | | | | commercial products can also cause this |
| single most important thing you can do to | | | | serious disorder.To avoid botulism, don't |
| prevent food poisoning.About 20 organisms can | | | | even taste canned food that is soft, |
| cause food poisoning. After you eat food | | | | deteriorating, fermenting or doesn't smell |
| contaminated with bacteria, they will | | | | right. It isn't worth a life-threatening |
| multiply in your stomach and bowels. Some | | | | illness. When in doubt, throw it out.Infant |
| bacteria give off a toxin when they multiply. | | | | botulism is more common in spring and summer, |
| As a result, nausea, vomiting, abdominal | | | | and is rare in winter. Infants younger than |
| cramps and diarrhea occur. Vomiting and | | | | one year of age are at the highest risk. |
| diarrhea are the body's way of eliminating | | | | Symptoms include muscle weakness, a weak cry, |
| the toxin, and most cases of food poisoning | | | | difficulty in feeding, constipation, head |
| run their course without needing medical | | | | lag, increased heart rate and a decreased gag |
| attention.Not all invasive organisms cause | | | | reflex. A baby with botulism is described as |
| vomiting as a symptom, but almost all of them | | | | a "floppy baby," as the infant will have weak |
| cause diarrhea. Blood in your stool occurs in | | | | muscles, especially in the arms, legs and |
| many types of food poisoning and is | | | | neck.Infant botulism has been associated with |
| considered to be serious. Abdominal cramps | | | | eating honey. The Center for Disease Control |
| are also common, and sometimes you will have | | | | suggests that honey should not be given to |
| a fever. Be sure to contact a physician if a | | | | infants under six months old, and the Honey |
| fever or bloody stools are present.Common | | | | Industry Council extends the safety limit to |
| Sources of Food PoisoningCampylobacter is the | | | | one year. Honey is not an essential food for |
| leading cause of bacterial food poisoning in | | | | infants, and should never be given to |
| the USA. It causes several million cases a | | | | them.Summary of Food PoisoningMost symptoms |
| year, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Eating | | | | such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps |
| undercooked chicken or food that has been in | | | | and diarrhea are due to viral infections and |
| contact with raw chicken most commonly causes | | | | are not true cases of food poisoning. An |
| campylobacter. The Center for Disease Control | | | | accurate diagnosis can be difficult because |
| estimates that up to 70%-90% of chickens are | | | | the pathogenic organisms are found in |
| infected with campylobacter.To prevent the | | | | different kinds of food and have varying |
| disease, cook chicken thoroughly, with no | | | | incubation periods. Also, eating a substance |
| pink remaining. Wash your hands frequently | | | | and getting sick immediately afterwards is |
| when handling raw chicken. Use paper towels | | | | not the typical course for food poisoning. |
| to dry your hands. If you are using a sponge | | | | Most people are not aware that food eaten |
| or dish-cloth to clean the counters, use a | | | | several days previously can be the cause of |
| fresh one after working with raw chicken. | | | | food poisoning. Always be sure to consult a |
| Wash your cutting board with a diluted bleach | | | | physician when experiencing severe |
| solution before using again. And any utensils | | | | gastrointestinal symptoms.Information in this |
| or dishes having contact with raw chicken | | | | article was gathered from the Safety |
| need to be washed and rinsed with soap and | | | | Information website at and the National |
| water before using again.E. coli 0157: H7 | | | | Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse |
| infection causes an estimated 25,000 cases of | | | | website at WRITING, INC. -- featuring Karen |
| food poisoning each year in the USA. Most of | | | | Peralta, copy editor, ghost writer and book |
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| prevent this form of food poisoning, cook all | | | | |