LISTERIOSIS
Listeriosis is found in raw meat and seafood, raw milk, and soft cheeses. It takes 7 to 30
days for it’s symptoms to show up in people. The symptoms are similar to flu symptoms
such as fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. It also can cause blood poisoning,
complications in pregnancy, and meningitis ( stiff neck, severe headache, and fever).
The best way to prevent Listeriosis from growing in meats, seafood, or milk and milk
products is by using sanitary food-handling methods; cook foods thoroughly, and only
use pasteurized milk or milk products.
SALMONELLOSIS
Salmonellosis is found in poultry (turkey, chicken, duck, pheasant, quail) red meats (beef
pork, lamb), eggs, dried foods, and dairy products.
Salmonellosis takes 3 to 8 hours to appear after eating contaminated food and may last
from 2 to 3 days.
Symptoms are: severe headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever.
To prevent Salmonellosis contamination use sanitary food-handling methods; use
pasteurized milk and cook foods thoroughly, and refrigerate food promptly.
STAPHYLOCOCAL POISONING
The food sources for most staphylococcal poisoning are salami, ham, cheese, custards,
cream pies, eggs, chicken, potato and macaroni salads.
Staphylococcal poisoning symptoms are abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and
diarrhea. It takes 8 to 20 hours before symptoms appear and may last 1 to 2 days. It is
rarely deadly.
To prevent staphylococcal poisoning use sanitary food-handling methods, cooking food
thoroughly. Refrigerate foods promptly and properly
E. COLI INFECTION
E. Coli Infection is found in contaminated meat that has not been cooked long enough or
at high enough temperatures to kill the bacteria, most often ground beef, raw milk,
contaminated water, and vegetables grown in cow manure.
Symptoms of E. Coli are bloody stools, stomachache, nausea, and violent vomiting.
They appear 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food and may last 4 to 10 days.
To prevent E. Coli from making you ill follow sanitary food-handling methods, cook
meat thoroughly (especially ground beef) , wash all fruits and vegetables, drink only
pasteurized milk and milk products.
BOTULISM
Food sources of botulism are foods that have not been canned properly (most often home
canned). Botulism will grow in a can if the container has not been properly sanitized, if
the food is not cooked properly in the process, or if the seal on the lid is not strong
enough to keep out bacteria.
Symptoms of botulism appear 12 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. They are:
double vision, inability to swallow, speech difficulty, progressive breathing difficulty that
can cause death. Botulism is the only food borne illness that attacks the nervous system.
The death rate for botulism is high; however, a doctor can treat botulism with an antitoxin
if he/she diagnoses it in time.
Botulism is prevented by proper canning methods. Avoid cans of food that have leaky
seals, bent, bulging, or broken cans.
HEPATITIS AND TRICHINOSIS
Hepatitis is found in undercooked or raw shellfish. Hepatitis A is a virus that causes
inflammation of the liver with tiredness, nausea, vomiting, jaundice(yellowed skin and
eyes from buildup of wastes) and muscle pain. Other sources of Hepatitis are
contaminated water and sewage.
Symptoms appear 15 to 20 days after eating contaminated food or water.
Prevention of Hepatitis is from cooking foods thoroughly and drinks only pure water.
The source of trichinosis is raw or undercooked pork and some wild game(bear). Worms
burrow through the body tissues to reach muscles tissue where they remain alive and live
off the body.
Symptoms appear usually 24 hours after eating contaminated food. Symptoms are:
abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. One to two weeks later, muscle
pain, low-grade fever, pain on breathing, swelling, skin sores, loss of appetite, and weight
loss. Drug therapy kills the worms and deaths are rare.
To prevent trichinosis cook meat thoroughly.