Food poisoning

Dr Muhammad Isya
Firmansyah MD
 Introduction

 Food poisoning is an acute illness, usually of

sudden onset, brought about by eating
contaminated or poisonous food.
 The symptoms normally include abdominal
pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and fever.
 Causes

• It may be caused by:-

Bacteria or their toxins
Chemicals like detergents, pesticides
Plants or fish
Viruses( Hepatitis from water
contamination)
The Main Food Poisoning
Bacteria
Type of food Where the Onset time Symptoms
poisoning bacteria come
from
Salmonella Raw meat, 6 - 72 hours Abdominal pains,
eggs, poultry, diarrhoea, fever,
animals vomiting,
dehydration
Clostridium Raw meat, soil, 8 - 72 hours Abdominal pain,
perfringens excreta, diarrhoea
insects
Staphylococcu Skin, nose, 1 - 6 hours Vomiting, abdominal
s aureus cuts, raw milk pains, lower than
normal temperature
Environment to multiply Bacteria
 Ten Main Reasons for Outbreak of
Food Poisoning

1. Food prepared too far in advance, and stored at

warm temperature.
2. Cooling food too slowly prior to refrigeration.
3. Not reheating food to high enough temperatures
to destroy food poisoning bacteria.
4. The use of cooked food contaminated with food
poisoning bacteria.
5. Under cooking.
6. Not thawing frozen poultry and meat for
sufficient length of time.
 Ten Main Reasons for Outbreak of Food
Poisoning (Cont.)

7. Cross-contamination from raw food to

cooked food.
8. Storing hot food below 63ºC.
9. Infected food handlers.
10. Use of leftovers.
 Clinical presentation.

 Incubation period from an hours to 3 days

common finding, with
nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and
diarrhea.
 Significant fluid and electrolyte abnormalities
may occur, especially in young children or
elderly patients.
 Fever, bloody stools, and fecal leukocytosis are
common with invasive bacterial infections.
 Diagnosis

Symptoms may include: pain in the

abdomen,nausea,vomiting,diarrhea,fever
and signs and symptoms of dehyfdration
Stool culture may differentiate causative
organisms like Salmonella, Shigella, infections.
Food samples should be saved for bacterial
culture and toxin analysis, primarily for use by
public health investigators.
Other useful laboratory studies include
CBC, electrolytes, glucose
 Treatment

A. Emergency and supportive measures

1. Replace fluid and electrolyte losses with
intravenous saline or other solutions (patients
with mild illness may tolerate oral
rehydration).
• Patients with hypotension may require large-
volume intravenous fluid resuscitation.
2. Antiemetic agents are acceptable for
symptomatic treatment, but strong
antidiarrheal agents such as Lomotil
(diphenoxylate plus atropine) should not be
used in patients with suspected invasive
bacterial infection (fever and bloody stools).
 B. Specific drugs and antidotes

There are no specific antidotes.

1. In patients with invasive bacterial
infection, antibiotics may be used once the
stool culture reveals the specific bacteria
responsible. Empiric treatment with
ciprofloxacin or trimethoprim-
sulfamethoxazole is commonly given while
awaiting culture results.
2. Pregnant women who have eaten Listeria-
contaminated foods should be
 treated empirically, even if only mildly
symptomatic, to prevent serious intrauterine
infection.
 The antibiotic of choice is ampicillin, with
gentamicin added for severe infection.
 Control
Measures:-
• Cook food thoroughly
• Handle food as little as possible
• Try not to prepare food in advance
• Keep food covered at all times
• Store food at safe temperatures below 5ºC or
above 63ºC.
• Do not keep food in the temperature (5ºC to 63ºC
danger zone)
• Keep raw and cooked foods separate.
• Avoid re-heating food.
 Control Measures
(cont.)
• Prevent dry foods from becoming moist.
• Dispose waste food and other rubbish carefully.
• Keep bins covered.
• Keep all animals and insects away from food
places.
• Keep everything as clean as possible.
• Seek advice if you feel ill, especially if you are
suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting
 Prevention of food poisoning
Food hygiene
Purchase of food
 Select fresh meat and vegetable.
 Purchase food from hygienic, reliable and
reputable sources to ensure quality.
 Purchase of food cont..

 Read and follow the storage instructions, and

pay attention to the "use by" or "best before"
date on food labels when buying pre packed
food.
 Do not buy any food that is abnormal in
appearance, for example: canned food in
rusty.
 Handling of food

 Food should be thoroughly washed before

storage or cooking. Meat and seafood must be
thoroughly cooked.
 Food should be consumed as soon as it is
served. Hot food should be eaten when it is
still hot and cold dishes should be stored in
the refrigerator until consumption.
 Use different sets of chopping blocks and
knives for cutting raw and cooked food.
 Storage of food

 Raw and cooked food should be stored

separately to avoid cross contamination. Place
cooked food in the upper compartment of
refrigerator.
 Cooked food, unless consumed at
once, should be kept below 4oC or above
63oC. Do not store food under room
temperature to avoid multiplication of
bacteria.
 Storage of food cont..

 Leftover food should be stored in the

refrigerator and re-heated thoroughly before
consumption.
 Refrigerator should be cleaned properly and
regularly and its temperature should be kept
below 4oC.
 Personal hygiene

• Wash hands with soap and water after going

to the toilet and before handling food.
• Anybody who suffers from diarrhoea or
vomiting should not handle or touch any food
to avoid bacteria contaminating the food.
Environmental hygiene

 Put all rubbish & food remains into a dustbin

and cover it up tightly. Dustbin must be
emptied frequently and regularly.
 Clean the kitchen frequently and regularly to
prevent harbouring rats and insects.
 If one is suffering from poisoning food

 Avoid eating solid foods..take easy to digest food

 Avoid alcoholic,cafeinated, or sugar drinks.

 Replace fluids lost by diarrhea or vomiting by drinking water or oral rehydration

theraphy.

 Don’t take antibiotics or anti-diarrhea medications before consulting a

doctor,certain types of food poisoning (listeriosis) are treated with intravenous
antibiotics.

 Consult doctor if diarrhea and vomiting persist.

 Conclusion

• Good Food Handling Practices are the Most

Important Aspect of Food Hygiene and it helps
to be protected from attack of food poision.
Hatur
Nuhun