Consuming food contaminated with bacteria or toxins can lead to food poisoning. In most cases, people are not aware that the food consumed is contaminated that could lead to serious health problems. It depends on the type of food poisoning you have or if you have compromised your immune system. Some of the types of food poisoning are Shigella, Botulism, Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria.
Let us look at a few of them:
Shigella – This type of bacterium can cause severe diarrhea. Transmitted through fecal matter and bad hygiene, Shigella is quite similar to Salmonella poisoning. Symptoms such as nausea, fever, cramps and diarrhea, sometimes bloody indicate Shigella poisoning. You can prevent contracting Shigella if you are very particular about personal hygiene and ensure that you always wash your hands thoroughly and that your bathroom and kitchen surfaces are clean and free of fecal matter.
Botulism – Botulism bacteria attacks in three different ways: wound, infant botulism and food-borne. The first type of infection occurs when bacteria infects a wound. Bacteria living inside the intestines of a baby cause infant botulism sometimes caused by raw honey. Food-borne botulism occurs due to improperly canned and processed foods. If you have blurry vision, slurred speech, muscle weakness, dry mouth and have difficulty swallowing – then you might have botulism. If it gets severe, it can even cause paralysis and respiratory failure. One can avoid Botulism by following hygienic practices when cooking and preparing food and taking the time to cook meats fully.
Salmonella – Humans get this infection from wild and domestic animals, through their meat, eggs or milk. Eating undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk, and raw eggs can all give you salmonella poisoning. Common symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting and can last from five days up to a week. Avoid dehydration at all costs. Young children, elderly people or people suffering from a chronic illness are in more danger from salmonella poisoning. Keep cooking surfaces clean, especially if it has been in contact with unpasteurized milk, raw eggs or raw meat.