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Foodborne Diseases - Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

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With urbanization, industrialization, tourism, and mass catering systems, foodborne diseases are increasing globally. Have a look at this article to learn more.

Written by

Dr. Afsha Mirza

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Rajesh Gulati

Published At February 10, 2023
Reviewed AtFebruary 13, 2024

What Is Foodborne Disease?

Foodborne diseases result from ingesting food contaminated by microorganisms or harmful chemicals that cause infection or irritation in the gastrointestinal tract. The contamination may occur at any stage in the process, from food production to consumption. An estimated 600 million, almost 1 in 10 people, fall ill after eating contaminated food, and 4,20,000 people die yearly.

What Are the Causes of Foodborne Diseases?

Following are the various causes of foodborne diseases:

  1. Bacteria: Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholera, Listeria, Staphylococcus, Clostridium per fringe, and Botulinum bacillus cereus.

  2. Virus: Norovirus, Rotavirus, Hepatitis A and E virus.

  3. Parasites: Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium, Fishbourne trematodes, Echinococcus spp, Taenia solium/saginata, Ascaris lumbricoid.

  4. Toxins: Mycotoxins (aflatoxins), marine biotoxins, mushroom toxins. Shellfish toxins, plant toxicants.

  5. Chemicals: Pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, copper), nitrates.

What Are the Types of Foodborne Diseases?

Foodborne diseases are of two types:

Foodborne Infections:

Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause it. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever. It can spread from person to person via the fecal-oral route, and the factors for food contamination are inadequate cooking, cross-contamination, and poor personal hygiene.

Foodborne Intoxications:

Toxins or chemicals can cause it. There is no invasion or multiplication and the incubation period is from minutes to hours. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, double vision, and respiratory failure. It is a non-communicable type, and factors for food contamination include inadequate cooking and holding temperatures.

Always Heard the Term Food Poisoning What Is This?

Food poisoning is an acute inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. It is caused by ingesting food contaminated with toxin-producing bacteria, their pre-formed toxins, chemical substances, or other poisonous substances. Food poisoning is widespread. More than 10 million cases occur in India per year.

What Are the Characteristics of Food Poisoning?

There is a history of ingestion of typical food. In most cases, the signs and symptoms are similar. Common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen, fever: shorter incubation period, and absence of secondary issues. Laboratory tests are rarely required.

Types of food poisoning:

  • Bacterial Food Poisoning: It is caused by taking contaminated food. Food may be infectious or toxic.
  • Nonbacterial Food Poisoning: Chemical poisoning, certain plants, and seafood poisoning

What Are the Signs of Severe Poisoning?

  • Bloody diarrhea.

  • Fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Frequent vomiting.

  • Dehydration.

  • Diarrhea for more than three days.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning?

  1. Wash the hands for 20 seconds before and after cooking the food and before meals.

  2. Wash and sanitize all the utensils after cooking food.

  3. Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consuming.

  4. Keep the raw meat, chicken, seafood, and eggs in separate places—store food in containers to avoid contact between raw and prepared food.

  5. Cook to the correct temperature, and cook food thoroughly, especially meat, chicken, eggs, and seafood. Bring foods like soups and stews to boiling to ensure they have reached 70 degrees Celsius.

  6. Refrigerate it because bacteria can multiply at room temperature. Keep food piping hot (more than 60-degree Celsius) before serving.

  7. Choose food processed for safety, such as pasteurized milk, and do not use food beyond its expiry date.

What Is Food Intoxication?

Foodborne intoxication is caused by ingesting food containing toxins formed by bacteria, which results from bacterial growth in the food item. Intoxications are of two categories:

  • Due to naturally occurring toxins in the food grains: Lathyrism, epidemic dropsy, endemic ascites, toxic polyphenol, etc.

  • Due to toxins produced by the fungi in the food grains: Aflatoxicosis, ergotism

Characteristics features and common food grains involved in intoxications:

Lathyrism: In lathyrism, the toxins and foods involved are pulse (Kesri dal) which contains the toxin beta oxalyl amino alanine. Neurolathyrism affects the nervous system, gradually developing paralysis of the legs. It manifests in states- latent, non-stick, two-stick, and finally, crawler stage. Preventive and control measures include health education on the dangers of consuming this pulse, removal of toxins by soaking the pulses in hot water (steeping method) and parboiling vitamin c prophylaxis, banning the crop, and selective cultivation of pulse strains with low levels of toxin.

Epidemic Dropsy: In epidemic dropsy, the toxins and foods involved are contaminated mustard oil with argemone oil containing sanguinarine. Argemone seeds resemble mustard seeds. The symptoms include sudden non-inflammatory bilateral swelling of the legs, often associated with diarrhea, dyspnea, cardiac failure, and death may follow. Nitric acid test and paper chromatography for detection of argemone oil. Preventive and control measures include ensuring the supply of pure mustard oil by strict enforcement of laws. Avoiding mustard oil altogether when the disease is prevalent in the locality, health education about argemone seeds and oil, removing argemone weeds growing among oil-seeds crops, and all packed cooking oils may have a label ‘argemone free.’

Endemic Ascites: In endemic ascites, the toxins and food involved are the millet panicum contaminated with crotalaria seeds containing hepatotoxic alkaloids. It manifests with rapidly developing ascites and jaundice. Preventive and control measures include: Educating the people of the affected areas and de-weeding the crotalaria plants that grow along with the staple. Simply sieving the millet at the household level to remove the crotalaria seeds.

Aflatoxicosis: Toxins and food involved are fungi aspergillus flavus, parasitic infests food grains such as ground nut, maize, parboiled rice, and tapioca under improper storage produce aflatoxins It is characterized by hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and enteritis. Preventive and control measures include proper storage of food grains in dry containers, moisture content should be below 10 percent, not to consume fungi contaminated food grains, and health education to the local people about the health hazard.

Ergotism: The toxins and food involved in ergotism are the ergot fungus, Claviceps fusiformis infests food grains such as bajra, rye, sorghum, and wheat during the flowering stage. Symptoms are acute but rarely fatal: nausea, repeated vomiting, giddiness, and drowsiness. Preventive and control measures: Removal of ergot-infested grains by floating in salt water, hand-picking, or air floatation

What Is Food Safety?

Food safety describes the handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne diseases. Unsafe food poses health threats, endangering everyone. It creates a vicious cycle of illness and malnutrition. Worldwide the importance of food safety has been recognized, and various measures and initiatives have been undertaken. Today food safety is a public health priority in developed and developing countries.

Conclusion:

The risk of having a foodborne disease is very common due to unhealthy eating habits. Contaminated food can cause serious health issues, so food safety precautions must be taken to prevent the risk of these diseases. Food threats and epidemics usually reset perceptions which may last for many years depending on how much coverage the people are disclosed to. The risk estimations and epidemiological analyses can consider the dangers of food-borne illness to a people to help management and enterprise respond properly with interventions and suggestions, but how much is fascinated and worked on by the people relies on the belief in the accountable agency or organization and the acceptable level of hazard communication for sophisticated audiences.

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Dr. Rajesh Gulati
Dr. Rajesh Gulati

Family Physician

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