Food poisoning- Veggie salads top list of risky foods
Nov 22, 2009
MANY Ugandans storm bufunda (shanty restaurants) everyday for their meals especially lunch because the food is cheap and tasty. But the hygiene in these restaurants inspires apprehension, considering their usually insanitary plates, dish towels and flies
By Gilbert Kidimu
MANY Ugandans storm bufunda (shanty restaurants) everyday for their meals especially lunch because the food is cheap and tasty. But the hygiene in these restaurants inspires apprehension, considering their usually insanitary plates, dish towels and flies which hover over the place.
A classmate once suffered from food poisoning after having lunch at a kafunda near the university. She missed lectures for a week while recovering from the condition.
Nowadays the once appreciated salads, even in classy eating places, are frowned upon because of their history of food poisoning.
Food poisoning is not poisoned food; rather, it is a disease of the gut which is caused by infection. In most cases it is the source is food that is contaminated.
The bacteria go into the stomach, multiply and cause odd reactions. It is classified into toxins and infectious contaminants including bacteria, viruses and sometimes parasites.
Common perpetuators of food poisoning
Eating fruits and raw vegetables, which is a lifestyle for many Ugandans, is a likely cause of food poisoning.
The most common sources, according to Dr. Malik Ssempereza of SAS Clinic in Kampala, are vegetables and fruits because they are usually eaten raw. Vegetables come from soil, which contains plenty of bacteria.
Eating or serving food with dirty hands also propagates food poisoning. But it results mainly from people who prepare the food. Some foods including yoghurt, eshabwe and cake icing can cause food poisoning if the milk is contaminated.
Sometimes the environment contaminates the food while on other occasions, vegetables or fruits are not cleaned properly yet they are usually eaten raw.
“Poor hygiene like poor storage of food can expose it to bacteria,†says Dr. David Muyanja of Mengo Hospital
The pesticides sprayed on plants could as well lead to food poisoning caused by toxins if the vegetables are not properly cooked
Symptoms
“Gusto intestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhoea, abdominal crumps, vomiting and sometimes fever are the leading symptoms of food poisoning,†says Ssempereza.
“They begin very suddenly and the diarrhoea can be really severe and in a short time the patient becomes weak.â€
Food poisoning is not related to worms. While worms take months to show or sometimes remain concealed, food poisoning is acute.
Ssempereza says the degree of the effect depends on the severity of food poisoning and the amount of bacteria infested in the colon. “There are different types of bacteria including E coli, salmonela (typhoid), shigela (dysentery) and vibrio cholerie (cholera).
Viruses include viruses and protozoa such as amoeba,†Ssempereza says. Anyone who is malnourished, children and the elderly are severely affected.
First aid
Symptoms can be managed at home by taking plenty of fluids in order to replace what has been lost. “Take a lot of fluids like soup and passion fruit juice even as you are going to the doctor.
Oral rehydration salts, which have a good composition of reversing dehydration, are the ideal for children. Give them the same amount as what they are passing out,†Muyanja says.
A packet of oral rehydration salts costs about sh600 and should be consumed within a day.
Diagnosis and treatment
Muyanja says the clinical manifestations are employed in the diagnosis. “Find out what could have caused them. In case of vomiting, take some vomit samples and occasionally blood samples in a few extreme cases.â€
Most food poisoning is self-limiting. It usually cures without treatment. The biggest percentage does not need treatment, but mainly requires supportive treatment, involving drinking lots of fluids.
Ssempereza advises that victims have to see a doctor just in case the condition intensifies.
Treatment involves taking the history of the patient; what they ate and where they travelled. “People who eat as they travel usually suffer from food poisoning.
Street food and salads are also potential causes of poisoning,†Ssempereza says.
“Antibiotics are given in case there are traces of blood in the stool. “We do not give medication to stop diarrhoea because the infection can spread to the blood stream. It is the vomiting that we stop,†Muyanja says.
Most infections spend less than a day and vanish. “But if the condition is severe for instance stretching beyond 48 hours, the patient needs medical attention.
We assess the patient, examine if he is dehydrated and in case there are changes in the vital signs, we admit him and administer intravenous fluids,†Muyanja says.
However, food poisoning is not common. Muyanja says about one patient in a week is treated at Mengo Hospital, although, occasionally many patients storm the hospital after a function.
Subject to how soon the individual seeks medical help, food poisoning can be fatal. Muyanja warns that if taken for granted, food poisoning can lead to death.
Cost of treatment
Most cases are outpatient. The consultation fee at Mengo Hospital is sh25,000. Treatment usually involves antibiotics, the commonest being Metro Indazol which costs sh500 a doze.
Christopher Luzinda, a pharmacist at Mengo hospital, says IV fluids cost sh2,500 a bottle. In case one is admitted, the cost of admission ranges from sh30,000 to sh70,000 a day.
HOW CAN ONE AVOID FOOD POISONING?
Dr. Malik Ssempereza of SAS Clinic in Kampala says some cases can be extreme. “If there is blood in the stool, one needs to seek medical attention,†he advises.
But most important is prevention. “Avoid food from vendors and eating in unhygienic areas. Wash your hands before preparing food, after the lavatory, before eating and serving food,†he says.
Try to avoid direct hand contact with food, especially juice. If you can afford, use a blender.
“Fruits should be washed thoroughly since they are usually eaten raw and vegetables like cabbage should be steamed to kill germs,†advises Muyanja.
Food should be stored well, preferably in a refrigerator because there, bacteria do not multiply.
Raw food should be kept separate from cooked food. Dr. David Ssali, says the proper way of washing fruits and vegetables is using vinegar or boil water. Only when those are not available should one use salty water.
MANY Ugandans storm bufunda (shanty restaurants) everyday for their meals especially lunch because the food is cheap and tasty. But the hygiene in these restaurants inspires apprehension, considering their usually insanitary plates, dish towels and flies which hover over the place.
A classmate once suffered from food poisoning after having lunch at a kafunda near the university. She missed lectures for a week while recovering from the condition.
Nowadays the once appreciated salads, even in classy eating places, are frowned upon because of their history of food poisoning.
Food poisoning is not poisoned food; rather, it is a disease of the gut which is caused by infection. In most cases it is the source is food that is contaminated.
The bacteria go into the stomach, multiply and cause odd reactions. It is classified into toxins and infectious contaminants including bacteria, viruses and sometimes parasites.
Common perpetuators of food poisoning
Eating fruits and raw vegetables, which is a lifestyle for many Ugandans, is a likely cause of food poisoning.
The most common sources, according to Dr. Malik Ssempereza of SAS Clinic in Kampala, are vegetables and fruits because they are usually eaten raw. Vegetables come from soil, which contains plenty of bacteria.
Eating or serving food with dirty hands also propagates food poisoning. But it results mainly from people who prepare the food. Some foods including yoghurt, eshabwe and cake icing can cause food poisoning if the milk is contaminated.
Sometimes the environment contaminates the food while on other occasions, vegetables or fruits are not cleaned properly yet they are usually eaten raw.
“Poor hygiene like poor storage of food can expose it to bacteria,†says Dr. David Muyanja of Mengo Hospital
The pesticides sprayed on plants could as well lead to food poisoning caused by toxins if the vegetables are not properly cooked
Symptoms
“Gusto intestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhoea, abdominal crumps, vomiting and sometimes fever are the leading symptoms of food poisoning,†says Ssempereza.
“They begin very suddenly and the diarrhoea can be really severe and in a short time the patient becomes weak.â€
Food poisoning is not related to worms. While worms take months to show or sometimes remain concealed, food poisoning is acute.
Ssempereza says the degree of the effect depends on the severity of food poisoning and the amount of bacteria infested in the colon. “There are different types of bacteria including E coli, salmonela (typhoid), shigela (dysentery) and vibrio cholerie (cholera).
Viruses include viruses and protozoa such as amoeba,†Ssempereza says. Anyone who is malnourished, children and the elderly are severely affected.
First aid
Symptoms can be managed at home by taking plenty of fluids in order to replace what has been lost. “Take a lot of fluids like soup and passion fruit juice even as you are going to the doctor.
Oral rehydration salts, which have a good composition of reversing dehydration, are the ideal for children. Give them the same amount as what they are passing out,†Muyanja says.
A packet of oral rehydration salts costs about sh600 and should be consumed within a day.
Diagnosis and treatment
Muyanja says the clinical manifestations are employed in the diagnosis. “Find out what could have caused them. In case of vomiting, take some vomit samples and occasionally blood samples in a few extreme cases.â€
Most food poisoning is self-limiting. It usually cures without treatment. The biggest percentage does not need treatment, but mainly requires supportive treatment, involving drinking lots of fluids.
Ssempereza advises that victims have to see a doctor just in case the condition intensifies.
Treatment involves taking the history of the patient; what they ate and where they travelled. “People who eat as they travel usually suffer from food poisoning.
Street food and salads are also potential causes of poisoning,†Ssempereza says.
“Antibiotics are given in case there are traces of blood in the stool. “We do not give medication to stop diarrhoea because the infection can spread to the blood stream. It is the vomiting that we stop,†Muyanja says.
Most infections spend less than a day and vanish. “But if the condition is severe for instance stretching beyond 48 hours, the patient needs medical attention.
We assess the patient, examine if he is dehydrated and in case there are changes in the vital signs, we admit him and administer intravenous fluids,†Muyanja says.
However, food poisoning is not common. Muyanja says about one patient in a week is treated at Mengo Hospital, although, occasionally many patients storm the hospital after a function.
Subject to how soon the individual seeks medical help, food poisoning can be fatal. Muyanja warns that if taken for granted, food poisoning can lead to death.
Cost of treatment
Most cases are outpatient. The consultation fee at Mengo Hospital is sh25,000. Treatment usually involves antibiotics, the commonest being Metro Indazol which costs sh500 a doze.
Christopher Luzinda, a pharmacist at Mengo hospital, says IV fluids cost sh2,500 a bottle. In case one is admitted, the cost of admission ranges from sh30,000 to sh70,000 a day.
HOW CAN ONE AVOID FOOD POISONING?
Dr. Malik Ssempereza of SAS Clinic in Kampala says some cases can be extreme. “If there is blood in the stool, one needs to seek medical attention,†he advises.
But most important is prevention. “Avoid food from vendors and eating in unhygienic areas. Wash your hands before preparing food, after the lavatory, before eating and serving food,†he says.
Try to avoid direct hand contact with food, especially juice. If you can afford, use a blender.
“Fruits should be washed thoroughly since they are usually eaten raw and vegetables like cabbage should be steamed to kill germs,†advises Muyanja.
Food should be stored well, preferably in a refrigerator because there, bacteria do not multiply.
Raw food should be kept separate from cooked food. Dr. David Ssali, says the proper way of washing fruits and vegetables is using vinegar or boil water. Only when those are not available should one use salty water.