Author: David J. Holcombe, M.D., M.S.A., Regional Medical Director, Region 6 (Alexandria Region)
It’s almost time for the Super Bowl, and like all big
events, that means it’s time for a party. And where there’s a party, there’s
plenty of food. And since most of us don’t serve large meals often, there’s a greater
potential for food contamination. The Louisiana Department of Health warns it’s
important to be wary of food borne illnesses and take precautions to keep
yourself and all of your party-goers healthy this Super Bowl Sunday.
Food borne illnesses are frequent, affecting well over 48
million people in the U.S. each year. Such illnesses are also a significant
cause of sickness and result in over 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths
annually as reported by the CDC. The older and sicker (or younger) the patient,
the more likely they are to have a tragic outcome.
In addition to Salmonella, other illnesses related to food
include E.coli, Shigella, Hepatitis A, Listeria and Norovirus. These are all common
causes of food poisoning, sickening millions of people annually in the U.S.
Food borne illnesses are caused by a great number of agents
including viruses, bacteria, vibrios and others. Sometimes it is a situation
where the food itself contains the toxins, while at other times the illness is
caused the growth of the bacteria (such as Salmonella) within an infected person.
In any case, the symptoms usually include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal
pain and diarrhea, sometimes explosive and even bloody.
Protect Yourself
As you prepare your Super Bowl meal, the goal is to keep
germs from finding their way into your food. To keep your foods safe during
preparation and as you serve items, put these tips in your playbook. This will
ensure that a case of food poisoning doesn’t put a damper on your party.
- Don’t leave food in a hot car.
- Keep your kitchen clean, especially cutting boards, sponges and knives.
- Make sure your refrigerator is 40 degrees and your freezer is zero.
- Cook red meat to 160 and poultry to 180 degrees F.
- Never leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator for more than TWO HOURS.
- Keep cold party foods on ice.
- Heat leftovers to 165 degrees and keep them above 140 F.
- Put hot foods into small units for rapid cooling.
- If it looks strange or smells strange, throw it out.
- Wash your hands before, during and after food preparation.
The Top 10 Causes of
Food Poisoning
Viruses, especially noroviruses, cause about 63 percent of
all cases. Noroviruses are the culprits
in the infamous cruise ship outbreaks of diarrhea and are also responsible for
the periodic closures of some Louisiana oyster beds. It requires very few
viruses to cause an infection and the transmission potential is staggering,
often affected an entire cruise ship in a matter of days. Noroviruses can also
spread through an entire nursing home or other institution in a very short
time.
Next is Salmonella, causing about 20,500 infections
occurring every year in Louisiana with nearly all caused by food-borne
transmission. Salmonella, like Escherichia coli, Shigella, Listeria and Campylobacter
(all also among the top 10 culprits), invades the intestinal wall and causes
significant fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Symptoms are preceded by an
incubation period lasting anywhere between six hours to three days, with
symptoms lasting up to week. Poultry products (including the annual holiday
turkey) are particular culprits since up to 90 percent of chicken carcasses are
contaminated with Campylobacter and around 20 percent with Salmonella and
Listeria. Turkeys and chickens share similar germs (as do some reptiles).
Other agents include Clostridium perfringens (as was
identified in the recent Louisiana incident), Staphylococcus aureus and
Bacillus cereus. All three of these produce toxins, the former after being
ingested and the latter two prior to being ingested. In other words, with Staph
and Bacillus, the poison is already in the food before you take a bite, while
Clostridium perfringens produces it in your gut. In any case, victims get sick
in a few hours after eating the food, often prepared and stored under improper
conditions for that Super Bowl shindig, but usually get better within a few
days.
Rounding out the top 10 are Vibrio parahaemolyticus and its
close cousin, Vibrio vulnificus, both saltwater organisms. Vibrio
Parahaemolyticus (causing about 45,000 cases a year) is often associated with
partially cooked shrimp, and can cause an unpleasant episode of diarrhea.
Vibrio vulnificus is found in raw oysters, another holiday
favorite and causes about 100 cases a year. While most people can eat oysters
with relative impunity, those with severe liver disease run a life threatening
risk with Vibrio vulnificus.
