"Food Poisoning": Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention with 10 Key Rules

"Food Poisoning": Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention with 10 Key Rules

By Dr. Duangporn Chokmongkolkij, Gastroenterologist

Causes

Food poisoning occurs from consuming contaminated food or water or from chemical contamination. It often results from eating undercooked seafood or food contaminated with seafood or rinsed with contaminated seawater.

Symptoms

The disease is characterized by watery diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps. Sometimes, nausea, vomiting, chills, and headaches may occur. In some cases, symptoms may resemble dysentery with bloody or mucousy diarrhea, high fever, and an elevated white blood cell count in blood tests.

Severity

The disease is not often severe enough to cause death, except in cases of severe dehydration, infection in other body systems, and fatalities are very rare.

Duration

The disease usually lasts 1-7 days.

Incubation Period

Typically, the incubation period ranges from 12-24 hours or 4-30 hours.

Transmission

Transmission occurs from consuming food stored at room temperature after cooking, which allows the pathogens to multiply. Outbreaks involving vomiting are common.

Most cases involve rice (e.g., fried rice from self-service restaurants), vegetables, and meat that have been improperly stored after cooking.

Treatment

Treatment is symptomatic, including oral rehydration with electrolytes and sugar. Intravenous fluid therapy may be necessary for patients in shock. In cases of intestinal gangrene, antibiotics should be administered for 14 days, and surgery considered when otherwise indicated.

Prevention

Prevent food poisoning by following these 10 key rules for safe food preparation as follow:

1. Choose well-prepared food.
2. Cook food thoroughly.
3. Eat freshly cooked food.
4. Be careful with cooked food to avoid contamination.
5. Reheat leftover food before consumption.
6. Separate raw and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.
7. Wash hands before handling food and eating.
8. Maintain cleanliness in the kitchen.
9. Store food safely away from insects, rodents, and other animals.

Use clean water.