Food toxinfection, a frequent summer illness

Food toxicity is manifested by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, most often accompanied by fever. This condition is common in children, pregnant women and patients with a deficient immune system. The first symptoms of food poisoning occur within a few hours of eating contaminated food, caused by microorganisms that pass through the stomach and reach the small intestine where it attaches to its walls, multiplying. Some microorganisms live in the intestinal wall, others produce toxins, which are then released into the bloodstream and others invade tissues and organs. In the case of diarrhea and vomiting, which are a defense mechanism of the organism that strives to eliminate the micro-organisms, no medicinal treatment is necessary. If a person has severe diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, dizziness, headache and hypotension, the doctor must be urgent.

Symptoms • diarrhea • nausea • headache • fever with chills • sweating • dizziness • excessive salivation • vomiting • abdominal pain Causes • The cause of food poisoning is the ingestion of food and drink contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, . • Bacteria can contaminate poultry, eggs and meat, causing salmonella toxinfection. • Canned foods contain a bacterium that is not destroyed by boiling, causing botulism, a rare but very serious food poisoning. • Crude fish and seafood can cause some viral food poisoning. • Chemical food poisoning can be caused by pesticides or by keeping food in containers that have not been disinfected.

Prevention • Foods are stored at temperatures between 4-8 degrees Celsius • It is advisable that infant products be eaten immediately after preparation without reheating • Washing food cooking dishes • Repeated washing of hands; . • Fever rises above 38 degrees Celsius. • The patient has severe dehydration symptoms. • If the patient is a baby or a small child. .