Common Food Poisonings: Symptoms & Prevention
- Cook ground beef thoroughly, to at least 160° F, and do not eat ground beef that is still pink in the middle.
- Keep raw meat away from other food in your kitchen.
- After touching raw meat, wash your hands and anything else the meat touched with hot soapy water.
- Boil vegetables for at least 1 minute.
- Wash all fruit and vegetables, especially those that will not be cooked.
- Drink pasteurized milk, juice, or cider.
- Drink municipal water that has been treated with chlorine, wells that have been tested, or bottled water.
- Do not swallow lake or pool water while you are swimming.
- People with diarrhea or who change diapers should wash their hands thoroughly.
Symptoms: Infected children often do not show symptoms; adults may experience jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, or fever. Some infected people will have symptoms for six to nine months, but after that they cannot be infected again.
Incubation period: Several days
Prevention tips:
- Get a hepatitis A vaccine.
- Immune globulin can provide short-term protection against hepatitis A but must be given within two weeks of exposure.
- Wash hands carefully after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, and before preparing or eating food.
Symptoms: Fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, victims may experience a headache, stiff neck, confusion, or loss of balance, and convulsions can occur. Pregnant women may experience a mild, flulike illness, but infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.
Incubation period: Within two months
Prevention tips:
- Thoroughly cook meat and wash vegetables thoroughly before eating; keep uncooked meat separate from ready-to-eat foods.
- Avoid unpasteurized dairy products.
- After handling uncooked foods, thoroughly wash everything that came in contact with them.
- Listeria may be present in some ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs and deli meats. If you are pregnant or have a compromised immune system, such foods should be thoroughly reheated or avoided altogether.
Symptoms: Most people develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps and recover without treatment. In some cases the symptoms may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to experience severe symptoms. A small number of people develop Reiter's syndrome from salmonella poisoning, which can lead to chronic arthritis.
Incubation period: Symptoms develop within 12 to 72 hours after infection and last four to seven days.
Prevention tips: Approximately 40,000 cases of salmonella are reported each yet, not counting mild cases that might not be diagnosed. It is more common in the summer than winter. To prevent infection:
- Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat.
- Do not consume unpasteurized dairy products.
- Wash produce before eating.
- Keep raw meat away from other food in your kitchen.
- After touching raw meat, wash your hands and anything else the meat touched with hot soapy water.
- Infected people should not prepare food for others.
- Wash hands after handling reptiles or coming into contact with animal feces.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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