Eating food infected with germs, viruses, parasites, or chemical compounds such as heavy metals can cause more than 200 ailments. This expanding public health concern has a significant socio-economic impact, including demands on healthcare systems, lost productivity, and harm to tourism and trade.
These diseases have a considerable impact on the worldwide disease burden and mortality. Food-borne infections, commonly known as food poisoning, arise when contaminated food or beverages are ingested, causing illness. Bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemicals are all potential causes of these disorders.
Food-borne illnesses vary from diarrhoea to cancer. The majority of symptoms are gastrointestinal, however they can also be neurological, gynaecological, or immunological in nature. Diarrhoea-causing diseases are a substantial concern in all countries, although the burden is borne disproportionately by low- and middle-income countries, as well as children under the age of 5. Food-borne infections are directly linked to poverty in low- and middle-income nations, but they are also a significant public health concern globally. Growing cities, climate change, migration, and increased international travel exacerbate these problems and expose individuals to additional risks.
Causes
The majority of food-borne diseases are caused by a range of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Other diseases are poisonings produced by hazardous poisons or compounds found in contaminated foods.
Many food-borne diseases can also be contracted through recreational or drinking water, contact with animals or their surroundings, or person-to-person transmission.
Symptoms include:
Common symptoms of food-borne disease include diarrhoea and/or vomiting that lasts 1 to 7 days. Other symptoms may include abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, joint/back pain, and fatigue. Stomach flu is referred as a food-borne sickness caused by a pathogen e.g., virus, bacteria, or parasite in contaminated food or drink.
The incubation period which is the time between pathogen exposure and symptom onset can be anywhere from a few hours to a week.
Commonly recognized food-borne infections are Botulism, Brucellosis, Campylobacter enteritis, Escherichia coli, Hepatitis A, Listeriosis, Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Toxoplasmosis, Viral gastroenteritis, Taeniasis and Trichinosis.
Foods Associated
The most contaminated raw foods are those of animal origin, such as raw meat and poultry, raw eggs, unpasteurised milk, and raw shellfish. Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with animal waste when manure is used in fertilising crops or food washed with unclean water.
Unpasteurised fruit juices or ciders can potentially be affected if fruit used in production contains germs. Any food items touched by a person who is sick with vomiting or diarrhoea, or has recently had such an illness, may become contaminated.
Management
Prevention
- Hand-washing: Wash hands often and thoroughly with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw or cooked foods, using the bathroom, handling pets, or tending to anyone who is ill.
- Clean items well: Clean food surfaces, utensils, and cutting boards after each use.
- Separate foods: Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from cooked and ready-to-eat foods, including fruits and vegetables, to avoid cross contamination.
- Cook food thoroughly: Cook foods to a safe temperature and avoid under cooking.
- Avoid raw beverages: Avoid drinking raw, unpasteurized dairy and juice products.
- Store food properly: Refrigerate foods in containers and small portion at or below 40° F (4° C) and refrigerate foods within 2 hours of cooking.
- Isolating when sick: Stay at home if feeling unwell and avoid preparing food for others during this time, even several days after symptoms have abased.
Treatment
- Fluid replacement. Fluids and electrolytes, maintain the balance of fluids in the body. Electrolytes include minerals such as sodium, potassium and calcium. After vomiting or diarrhoea, it’s important to replace fluids to prevent dehydration. Severe dehydration may require going to the hospital.
- Antibiotics. If the illness is caused by bacteria, antibiotic is prescribed. Antibiotics are generally for people with severe disease or with a higher risk of complications.
- Antiparasitics. These are drugs that target parasites, are usually prescribed for parasitic infections.
- Probiotics. These are treatments that replace healthy bacteria in the digestive system.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
For most people, symptoms improve without treatment within 48 hours. To help keep yourself more comfortable and prevent dehydration while recovering, do the following:
- Let the stomach settle. Eat after your stomach is settled and hungry again.
- Replace fluids with water or broths. Children or people at risk for serious illness should drink rehydration fluids (Pedialyte, Enfalyte, others). Talk to your doctor before giving rehydration fluids to infants.
- Ease back into eating, start with bland food, low-fat, easy-to-digest foods, such as soda crackers, bananas and rice.
- Avoid dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and fatty or highly seasoned foods until you feel better.
- Rest to recover from illness and dehydration.
Food Safety Guidelines
- Keep clean
- Separate raw and cooked
- Cook thoroughly
- Keep food at safe temperatures
- Use safe water and raw materials
Food-borne diseases have a global impact of causing illness, death and economic loss. These are therefore controllable by practising safe food handling practices, storing food properly, and choosing safe food options. Prompt treatment and management can reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent complications.