California Poison Control System Provides Food Safety Tips

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 25, 2008 -- As families gather together to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, The California Poison Control System (CPCS) provides tips so that holiday gatherings do not include a trip to the emergency room with a food-related illness. The CPCS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer any questions at (800) 222-1222 or www.calpoison.org.

According to the California Department of Health Services, close to 27,000 cases of food poisoning are reported each year but because many more cases are not reported, the actual number may be dramatically higher. The CPCS system provides the following information about food poisoning:


Over 55% of food poisoning cases are caused by improper cooking and storage of foods

Another 24% of cases are caused by not washing hands before handling food

Only 3% of food poisoning cases are from an unsafe food source

Eating food contaminated with bacteria or viruses can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Vomiting and diarrhea are the body's way of eliminating the bacteria, virus or toxin. Although an unpleasant experience, most common cases of food poisoning run their course without needing medical attention.

“Food poisoning can be difficult to diagnose because of the many different organisms that cause it,” said Dr. Cyrus Rangan, Assistant Medical Director and Director of the Los Angeles Medical Toxicology Education Program, California Poison Control System. “In addition, symptoms do not always appear soon after ingesting contaminated food and in some cases can take as long as several days to happen.”

The most common forms of food poisoning are caused by viruses such as the rotaviruses, noroviruses (Norwalk) and others; and by bacterial contamination such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. These illnesses do not usually require hospital treatment, unless they lead to dehydration from vomiting and/or diarrhea. Less common but more serious food poisonings include:

Botulism – Although very rare, this type of poisoning usually results from eating processed low-acid food such as green beans or olives that have not been canned properly. To avoid botulism, be careful not to eat food from cans that have leaky seals or cans that are bent, bulging or broken, and follow safety instructions when canning at home. (See the websites below for more information.)

Infant Botulism – Infants between the ages of two and four months are at the highest risk of this type of food poisoning. Infant Botulism has been linked to very young children eating honey. Symptoms include muscle weakness, a weak cry, constipation, increased heart rate and a decreased gag reflex. As a result, honey should not be given to babies under six months.

E. coli 0157: H7 – Undercooked, contaminated ground beef causes most cases of this type of food poisoning although the bacteria can also contaminate raw milk or unpasteurized apple cider. Swimming in or drinking water that has been polluted with sewage can also cause disease. Typical symptoms occur one to seven days after eating and are usually watery diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. Usually little or no fever is seen. To prevent this type of food poisoning, cook ground beef thoroughly and only eat pasteurized products.

Campylobacter Food Poisoning – This is the leading cause of food poisoning in the US and is a result of eating undercooked chicken or food that has touched raw chicken. It is estimated that 70 – 90 % of chickens are infected with campylobacter. The symptoms of these bacteria include abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and fever and usually last one week.

Salmonella –This is an important cause of serious intestinal infection than can occur after eating undercooked eggs or chicken. Symptoms are similar to Campylobacter and include bloody diarrhea and fever.

Shigella – Another cause of bloody diarrhea and fever, caused by a bacteria that can be passed from person to person by poor sanitation (like not washing hands properly) or not cooking food enough.

The easiest way to prevent all of these types of food-related illnesses is to wash hands before, during and after preparing food. Use soap and warm water and wash for at least 20 seconds. Good sources for more information are:

www.foodsafety.gov
www.cdc.gov/foodsafety
www.foodsafety.nal.usda.gov.


For more information about food poisoning or other food safety, consumers can call the CPCS at 1-800-222-1222 for advice. Pharmacists, Nurses, Physician-Toxicologists and Poison Information Providers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help. In most cases a poison exposure can be safely managed at home with the help of a CPCS expert, avoiding a call to 911 or a visit to a crowded hospital emergency room.

The CPCS has four divisions located at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco, Children’s Hospital Central California in Fresno/Madera and the UC San Diego Medical Center in San Diego. The CPCS is part of the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and operates under a contact and designation by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority.

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More information can be found online at http://www.calpoison.org

Food Safety     holiday food safety     poisoning