What are foodborne diseases

Foodborne diseases are of great concern in clinical practice because the sources of infection are very common, such as raw chicken. Summer and autumn are the peak seasons for foodborne diseases every year. People with foodborne diseases often experience symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, and severe cases may also develop sepsis, so everyone must pay attention. The following introduces the more common types of foodborne diseases. I hope everyone can actively prevent them.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus

This bacterium exists in seawater, seafood, etc. It has strong vitality and can survive on rags and chopping boards for more than a month. In recent years, Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection has topped the list of foodborne pathogens in my country, with the peak incidence in summer and autumn. The main symptoms are acute gastroenteritis, such as severe abdominal pain, paroxysmal umbilical colic, etc., and diarrhea. The course of the disease is usually 2-3 days, and recovery is relatively quick. The main cause of the disease is seafood that is not cooked thoroughly or ready-to-eat food contaminated by the bacteria. In July 2012, a foodborne outbreak with diarrhea as the main symptom occurred in a coastal scenic area in my country, with 26 people falling ill. They were from the same tour group and after investigation, it was found that the cause was that they had eaten flower crabs infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the flower crabs were not thoroughly cooked.

"Refrigerator bacteria" that are not afraid of cold

It's actually Listeria monocytogenes. It has strong vitality and can still grow and reproduce, especially at the refrigerated temperature of the refrigerator. It often contaminates meat, milk, and aquatic products, with the highest contamination rate in raw meat and ready-to-eat food. After infection, patients experience fever, muscle aches, nausea, and may even develop meningitis. Most notably, pregnant women and newborns are most likely to be knocked down by it. When a pregnant woman is infected with it, she may have a mild cold, but it can cause infection to the fetus and lead to miscarriage. It is reported that about one-third of pregnant women infected with this bacteria may experience miscarriage.

E. coli is everywhere

There are five types of diarrhea-causing Escherichia coli, the most notorious of which is O157:H7. It often contaminates meat, eggs, milk, etc., and factories and school canteens are its most common crime scenes. The elderly and infants are most susceptible to infection. After infection, sudden abdominal cramps are likely to occur, and severe cases may lead to death. In 1999, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, experienced the largest outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in my country's history. Most patients suffered from infectious diarrhea and symptoms of acute renal failure. Within a few months, the city admitted 147 severe cases, of whom 118 died of acute renal failure, with a mortality rate of 80%.

Campylobacter jejuni, a fever-causing bacterium

Its favorite temperature is 42-44 degrees Celsius, which happens to be the temperature of the intestines of poultry. It often contaminates poultry meat, raw milk, etc., and raw chicken is its favorite. Campylobacter jejuni is mostly a sporadic case. The highest incidence rate is among children under 5 years old, especially infants under 1 year old. Fever, headache, diarrhea, etc. appear 2-5 days after infection. There are complications.

Staphylococcus aureus produces “toxins”

Its traces are often found on the throat and nasal skin of healthy people. Long-term contamination of foods rich in protein or starch, such as milk, meat, cakes, and leftovers. The killing power is limited, but if it multiplies in large numbers, it can produce Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin. Enterotoxin is highly heat-resistant and cannot be completely destroyed by ordinary cooking. After ingesting the toxin, patients will experience symptoms of gastroenteritis such as nausea and severe vomiting. Children are most susceptible to infection, and the younger they are, the more sensitive they are to enterotoxins.

In March 2008, 119 children in three kindergartens in a city in Guangdong Province fell ill. The main symptom was vomiting, and some also had headaches, abdominal pain, etc. The investigation found that the incident was caused by dairy products, and Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin was detected in the raw milk.