Archive for category FOOD POISONING
Making a Tippy Tap
Posted by admin in Child Health, Epidemiology, FOOD POISONING, FOOD SAFETY, Healthy Eating, ICONS - Golden apple, Infection Control, Public Health and Health Protection Agencies, Vomiting on October 17th, 2012
COUNTRY : WORLDWIDE
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Global Handwashing Day 2012
Posted by admin in Diarrhoea, FOOD POISONING, Healthy Eating, ICONS - Golden apple, Infection Control, Public Health and Health Protection Agencies, Uncategorized on October 15th, 2012
Today, 15th October 2012 is Global Handwashing Day.
“Human feces are the main source of diarrheal pathogens. They are the source of shigellosis, typhoid, cholera, all other common endemic gastro-enteric infections and some respiratory infections such as influenza and pneumonia. A single gram of human feces can contain 10 million viruses and one million bacteria.
These pathogens are passed from an infected host to a new one via various routes but all of these illnesses emanate from feces. Removing excreta and cleaning hands with soap after contact with fecal material –from using the toilet or cleaning a child – prevents the transmission of the bacteria, viruses and protozoa that cause diarrheal diseases.
Other measures (food handling, water purification, and fly control) have an impact on these diseases as well, but sanitation and handwashing provide the necessary protection against fecal contact. They start by creating initial barriers to fecal pathogens from reaching the domestic environment. Handwashing with soap stops the transmission of disease agents and so can significantly reduce diarrhea and respiratory infections, and may impact skin and eye infections.
Research shows that children living in households exposed to handwashing promotion and soap had half the diarrheal rates of children living in control neighborhoods. Because handwashing can prevent the transmission of a variety of pathogens, it may be more effective than any single vaccine. Promoted on a wide enough scale, handwashing with soap can be thought of as a “do-it-yourself” vaccine. Ingraining the habit of handwashing could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention.”
COUNTRY : WORLDWIDE
Why Handwashing with Soap?
Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote.Turning handwashing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. A vast change in handwashing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015.
Global Handwashing Day focuses on children because not only do they suffer disproportionately from diarrheal and respiratory diseases and deaths, but research shows that children – the segment of society so often the most energetic, enthusiastic, and open to new ideas – can also be powerful agents for changing behaviors like handwashing with soap in their communities.
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Infections : Botulism – don’t give honey to infants
Posted by admin in Botulism, Child Health, FOOD POISONING, FOOD SAFETY, ICONS - Blackboard, Infections on November 16th, 2011
Botulism is very rare, but nevertheless important because of the severity of the disease caused by the powerful toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum.
This bacterium has developed the ability to form spores. It transforms into the spore like state when it doesn’t like the conditions surrounding it. The spore state offers protection to the bacteria. Spores are also a clever kind of fancy dress that some bacteria use to conceal they are present. In the spore form, these bacteria can be regarded as “resting” and inactive. Their presence is not noticed in food unless they emerge from their spore state and become real bacteria again, and then the food will spoil.
Honey is an interesting food. It is said it does not spoil and in fact claims have been made that edible honey has been found in the tombs of ancient Egypt! Have you ever seen fungus growing on top of a jar of honey as it does on top of a pot of jam?
COUNTRY : USA
However, honey carries with it a danger for infants. It may have spores of Clostridium botulinum hiding within it.
So the advice is:
Play safe. Botulism is an extrememly rare but very serious condition. Don’t give honey to infants. Don’t even dip a pacifier in honey.
COUNTRY : UK
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Bacterial infections : Botulism
Posted by admin in Babies and toddlers, Botulism, Child Health, FOOD POISONING, FOOD SAFETY, ICONS - Stethescope and apple, Infections on November 14th, 2011
In Scotland last week, two children from the same family were admitted to hospital with the very serious but rare condition of botulism.
Botulism is a type of food poisoning resulting from the ingestion of a toxin produced from a bacterium know as Clostridium botulinum. The toxin is known as botulinum toxin and is one of the most lethal known to man.
Botulism can also occur by entry of the toxin via contaminated wounds.
In this case the toxin was thought to originate from a jar of curry.
PUBLIC URGED TO BE AWARE OF BOTULISM SYMPTOMS
COUNTRY : SCOTLAND
Investigations are continuing into the possible cause, but botulism is often food borne. Botulism is caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which attacks the nervous system and can affect people of any age. The infection is not contagious and cannot be spread from person to person. Symptoms of foodborne botulism typically begin between 12 and 36 hours after ingestion of contaminated food, but may present in as little as six hours.
The bacteria that produce this toxin can exist in a dormant spore form. Great care must be take in the preparation of certain canned or bottled food in the home. This is why adequate sterilisation of jars used for storage is so important. Even minute amounts of the toxin can be fatal.
The following link to the U.S. National Library of Medicine give practical advice on botulism:
COUNTRY : USA
Prevention
NEVER give honey or corn syrup to infants younger than 1 year old — not even just a little taste on a pacifier.
Prevent infant botulism by breastfeeding only, if possible.
Always throw away bulging cans or foul-smelling preserved foods. Sterilizing home-canned foods by pressure cooking them at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes may reduce the risk for botulism.
Keep foil-wrapped baked potatoes hot or in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
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Shellfish allergy or not?
Posted by admin in ALLERGY, ANAPHYLAXIS, FOOD POISONING, FOOD SAFETY, Food allergy, Toxins on August 22nd, 2011
Shellfish are often blamed for causing an “upset stomach,” and the assumption may be that it is caused by a “shellfish allergy.” This may indeed be the case because shellfish are one of the commonest causes of allergy and in some cases reactions can be severe. Any significant reaction to shellfish should be investigated by appropriate allergy testing and on no account should someone who suspects that a reaction was due to allergy, try a home “challenge” in case the most severe type of allergic reaction known as “anaphylaxis” is induced. Such challenges, if necessary at all, should only be done in a hospital setting by someone trained in diagnosing and managing severe allergic reactions.
However, not all shellfish reactions are allergic in nature. This paper describes other causes of reactions that may be confused with allergy.
NOT ALL SHELLFISH “ALLERGY” IS ALLERGY
COUNTRY : USA
ABSTRACT
The popularity of shellfish has been increasing worldwide, with a consequent increase in adverse reactions that can be allergic or toxic. The approximate prevalence of shellfish allergy is estimated at 0.5-2.5% of the general population, depending on degree of consumption by age and geographic regions. The manifestations of shellfish allergy vary widely, but it tends to be more severe than most other food allergens.Tropomyosin is the major allergen and is responsible for cross-reactivity between members of the shellfish family, particularly among the crustacea. Newly described allergens and subtle differences in the structures of tropomyosin between different species of shellfish could account for the discrepancy between in vitro cross-antigenicity and clinical cross-allergenicity. The diagnosis requires a thorough medical history supported by skin testing or measurement of specific IgE level, and confirmed by appropriate oral challenge testing unless the reaction was life-threatening.
Management of shellfish allergy is basically strict elimination, which in highly allergic subjects may include avoidance of touching or smelling and the availability of self-administered epinephrine. Specific immunotherapy is not currently available and requires the development of safe and effective protocols.
But symptoms after consuming shellfish may be due to something else:
Shellfish poisoning frequently masquerade as an allergic reaction. Ingestion of contaminated shellfish results in a wide variety of symptoms depending on the concentration of toxins and amount consumed. Five types of shellfish poisoning have been identified [9]. Scombroid poisoning [10] has been linked to fish by the action of bacteria on muscle histidine and production of histamine. To the best of our knowledge, we did not encounter any reports in the English literature on scombroid poisoning from shellfish consumption.
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