Food: When Food is Poison

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When Food is Poison
Wednesday, October 04, 2006

I have written many articles about food and cooking. Food is supposed to be a fun thing. It brings families together for reunions and picnics. Food is a big part of holiday meals, theme parks, and fairs. Many of the memories we all have from childhood involve one kind of food or another.

These last few weeks, however, food turned deadly with the E-coli outbreak. This time it happened to be spinach, but it could happen with other foods. E. coli poisoning doesn't happen very often and frequently it can be overcome with the proper medical care. It is more deadly for the very young and the elderly, however. As with the recent outbreak, this was proven to be true.

E. coli is bacteria. It settles in the intestines of animals, often cows. Since we eat beef, one of the major causes of the disease is eating tainted beef but it is just one of the ways the disease can be picked up, as we all found out recently with the bagged spinach scare. Be aware that often people don't know there was a bacteria problem until days later, which is unfortunate.

Other problematic foods

In addition to the beef already mentioned, the E. coli bacteria can be found in milk that has not been pasteurized and in certain juices. It can be found in water that is not pure and obviously in the processing plants of bagged vegetables and other kinds of foods.

So what actually happens when E. coli is present?

Many people can and do fully recover from E. coli poisoning but recovery isn't as easy for young children. The poisoning ends up causing problems with the kidneys and can result in kidney failure. One exception is that adults with high blood pressure, those who smoke, and those with diabetes have an elevated risk of more severe problems with E. coli poisoning.

One very unfortunate fact is that since the poisoning starts out as many other "tummyaches" and sicknesses in children, parents rarely know that it is something more serious and precious time is wasted before seeking treatment. The symptoms can begin soon after eating tainted food or it can wait up to a week to show up.

What are the symptoms?

This is where part of the problem comes in because of the symptoms. There may be throwing up and general nausea. Other symptoms include possible fever and diarrhea with or without blood being present. On the surface it really does look like many of the "stomach bugs" or "stomach flu" that many people suffer at least once a year. If a stool sample is taken by a doctor, it becomes easy to diagnose, but it is rather easy to see why this isn't always done in a timely manner.

How does the doctor get rid of E. coli poisoning?

A person who has come in contact with the bacteria will not be given an antibiotic or any kind of prescription for that matter. There isn't any medication that will help. The sufferer may be treated for the various ailments such as diarrhea or told to take a fever reducer, however. The patient will need to have an extreme amount of rest, often as an in-patient and he or she will be given many fluids. Many of the hospitalizations after E. coli poisoning are made necessary because of the presence of dehydration. It happens because of the throwing up and diarrhea that occurs with the poisoning.

While under medical care, the patient will be monitored for certain things to make sure they will not happen. Becoming dehydrated would be a very bad thing to happen. A doctor will also be checking to make sure that the patient does not become anemic. E. coli affects the kidneys so a watch will be kept on that, too, especially in young children. There is a list of symptoms for anemia and if they are things that the doctor is not able to see by examination, he or she will ask the patient.

This is frightening! What can I do?

The best way to protect yourself and your family from this terrible poisoning is to make sure meat is thoroughly cooked first and foremost. Don't drink any milk that is not pasteurized. Wash the produce that you buy very carefully. (Just because something is labeled organic doesn't mean that it's safer, as a side note.)

6:37 AM

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