Food Poisoning

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• QHow should I handle listeriosis if I'm pregnant?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Listeriosis is a rare but serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria called Listeria. Listeriosis mostly affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women are about 13 times more likely than the general population to get listeriosis. About 1 in 6 of the patients who are diagnosed with listeriosis are pregnant women.

  Pregnant women with listeriosis may experience a mild, flu-like illness or no symptoms. However, listeriosis can be very serious for unborn babies or newborn infants. Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to fetal loss (miscarriage or stillbirth), premature delivery, or serious infection in newborn infants.

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• QHow long can I keep side dishes outside before serving?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  It's not uncommon for an outdoor cook to stash side dishes like potato salad or coleslaw on the table while grilling up the main events, but the sun is likely to wreak havoc on mayonnaise-based sides. Keep these dishes (or the jar of mayo) in the fridge or in a cooler until you're ready to serve them. The same goes for cheese and lunchmeats, which are also vulnerable to the sun. These foods also need to be dumped after an hour of sitting outdoors in summer weather.
  
  If you're storing things in a cooler, make sure the cooler stays cold. Sit it out of the sun, and use plenty of ice packs or frozen water bottles, which you can then drink, after you've removed the food. It's better to store beverages in a separate cooler so the one with the food isn't opened as frequently.
  
  Even fruits and veggies that have been kept cold in the fridge may be carrying bacteria or tiny critters, so be sure to give your produce a good wash before serving.
• QWhat is botulism?

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  A Dr. Egilius L. Spierings, MD , Neurology, answered

  Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. People usually contract botulism after eating food contaminated with the toxin, which binds to nerve endings, essentially paralyzing motor nerves.
• QWhat treatment stops diarrhea from severe food poisoning?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Treatment of severe diarrhea associated with food poisoning should focus more on hydration than stopping the bowel movements. Diarrhea is one of the body's ways of getting rid of toxins, so stopping excretion can prolong the infection. If the diarrhea is truly severe or prolonged, a patient may need IV fluids, antibiotics or other medications administered by a doctor. 
• QWhat is food poisoning?

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  A Jessica Crandall , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  Food poisoning is often a preventable illness if you are focused on cooking temps, storing methods, serving times and preparation safety. It can feel like flu-like symptoms but it’s important to consider what you have consumed. So before you write it off as the flu check out the facts on food borne illness

  http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=10948

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• QWhat are the causes of listeriosis?

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  A Kat Barefield, MS, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered

  The causes of listeriosis include improperly cooking foods, holding foods at the improper temperatures, cross contamination and insufficiently washing raw vegetables. Unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses are common foods that contain the bacteria that causes this illness.
• QWhat are the symptoms of botulism?

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  A Kat Barefield, MS, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered

  Symptoms of botulism include weakness, fatigue, vertigo, blurry vision, double vision, dry mouth, difficult speaking or swallowing and eventually paralysis and death.

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• QHow can botulism hurt me?

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  A Discovery Health answered

  The word botulism describes a kind of poisoning. A strain of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum makes a protein called botulin. This protein causes botulism. Botulin invades excitatory nerve cells where those nerve cells meet muscle fibers. The botulin blocks the junction so no signals can get through. This results in paralysis and - in severe cases - it totally immobilizes and kills the patient.

  Botulism bacteria are common but are killed by oxygen. Therefore, the bacteria form spores to protect them from oxygen. These spores activate in oxygen-free environments. The most common way to contract botulism is from improperly canned food. When a can is sealed, it creates an oxygen-free environment. In proper canning, the can is heated after sealing. This causes the spores to die. If the can is not heated properly, the spores activate in the sealed can and it becomes filled with toxin. Because botulin is a protein, heating the food after opening the can is enough to destroy the botulin. If the canned food is eaten cold, however, botulism occurs.

  Babies can get botulism from honey. This happens in a different way. Bees naturally collect botulism spores while they collect nectar. The spores are mixed into the honey. Most people can eat the spores without difficulty. Adults have bacteria in their intestines and robust immune systems that eliminate the spores. Babies do not yet have these defenses. When a baby eats honey, therefore, the spores find themselves in the oxygen-free intestine. They come to life and produce the toxin while inside the baby.

• QCan I get botulism from Botox injections?

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  A Dr. Arthur W. Perry, MD , Cosmetic Surgery, answered

  In 2004, four people who received botulinum toxin (Botox) developed symptoms of botulism. When this story broke, plastic surgeons knew something strange had happened. It didn't make sense. Indeed, it turned out that the unlicensed osteopathic doctor who injected himself, his wife, and two friends had used industrial grade botulinum toxin -- intended for research and not for clinical practice. The bottle that was injected contained 10 million units of toxin, not the 100 units contained in a bottle of Botox. One unit of Botox can kill a mouse. The lethal dose of Botox in humans is 3,000 units, which is 30 times the recommended maximum dose. I guess that doctor missed the pharmacology lecture in medical school! He'll have plenty of time to study this topic now, since he was sentenced to three years in a federal prison.

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• QDoes eating honey pose any health risks?

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  A Discovery Health answered

  It seems innocuous, but honey actually can pose health risks in some cases. Proponents of honey warn there is a potential for the potential of an allergic reaction to it. Honey also can contain bacteria, which can cause infant botulism, so health officials warn that infants under 12 months old should not consume honey because their immune systems are not fully developed.