Food Poisoning, Sign and symptoms, labortary Investigations, Prevention

                         Food Poisoning

       It is acute inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, caused by the ingestion of contamination food. Clinically it is characterized by short short incubation period, pain in the abdomen, vomiting or diarrhea or without fever.

     Food poisoning differ from food brone diseases. It is not transmitted through feco-oral route. 

 

The epidemiological features of food poisoning are:

1. Short Incubation period.

2. Absence of Secondary cases.

3. Short Incubation period.

4. A group of persons being affected simultaneously.

5. Similarity of signs and symptoms.

Classical of food Poisoning 

They are broadly classified into two types:

a) Non-bacterial

b) Bacterial

 Non-bacterial again 3 types :

• Mushroom poisoning
• Solanine poisoning
• Chemical poisoning

1. Mushroom poisoning : Its occurs mainly two types of fungi poisoning amentia pantherina and amentia muscaria. symptoms occur within a few minutes or hours.abdominal pain followingvomiting and may be diarrhea occur.
2. Solanine poisoning: Solanine present in potato peeling. Symptoms occur in few hours. There will be fever, headache pain, abdomen, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness and depression.
3. Chemical poisoning: Inorganic chemical substances resulting in poisoning  pesticides, fertilizers, arsenic ,zinc and mercury.

Bacterial food poisoning this is produced by contaminated food. they are mainly  two types: 

A. Infection type 

B. Toxin type

• Infection type : In this type, organisms enter into body through the food and produce toxin. Incubation period is more then 8 to 12 hours.
• Toxin type: In this type, there is already performed toxin in the food. Incubation period shorter that infection type. Its is less than 8 to 12 hours.

Investigation:

1.  Collection of basic data such as location of the place where the affected people had   taken the food.
2.  Interrogation\
3.  Nature of food eaten during previous two days.
4.  Nature of the symptoms 
5.  Personal data e.g.. name sex address occupation and related information.
6.  Number of deaths.
7.  Assessment of environmental factors

Inception of kitchen 

• a)  To assess sanitation of kitchen and dinning hall.
• b) To known the of the food storage of food grains
•  o know the nature of the storage of cooked foods.
• To know the presence of rodents.
• Interrogation and examination of food handlers and other employs regarding personal hygiene , habits and illness.

 Laboratory investigations:

1. Vomitus and stools of the patients for culture in aerobic and aerobic medias.
2. Sample of foods 
3. Serological tests of the blood 
4. Culture of the stools and urine of the food handlers and kitchen employs.
5. Analysis of data according to the descriptive method of time, place and person distribution.
6. case control study 
7. Prevention and control ,measures undertaken.

Prevention and Control

-Take care of food 

• Proper storage of food grains.
• Proper cooking of food.
• Protection of cooking food from rodents, insects and bare- hands.
• Eating the food while hot.
• Discouraging canning of food.
• Refrigeration of remaining foods

-Taking care of food handlers 

• They should maintain a high standard  of personal hygiene.
• They are educated to undergo periodically medical check up.
• They are educated about the hazards of underground coughing and coughing.
• They must abstain from the duty, if they develop septic skin lesions, respiratory and intestinal symptoms.
• Carriers should remain absent for the duty till they are cured bacteriologically. 

- Taking care of environment

• Kitchen and dinning hall must be clean and dry.
• Utensils should be thoroughly washed with soap and hot water.
• Rodents and Insects must be controlled.