What Are The Causes Of Food Poisoning?

 

Is it true that food poisoning are attacks from spirits and enemies that wish you death? This is the first recourse of many people especially in third world countries. But there many causes of food poisoning and spirits are not included here. 

Food poisonings are classified by how quickly the symptoms begin after eating potentially contaminated food. Think of this as the incubation time from when food enters the body until symptoms begin. The following are examples of how this time classification can be arranged:

Short incubation of less than 16 to 24 hours

Chemical causes

•             Scrombroid poisoning usually is due to poorly cooked or stored fish. The affected person will experience flushing, shortness of breath, and difficulty swallowing within 1 to 2 hours of eating.

•             Ciguatera poisoning is another fish toxin that occurs after eating fish such as grouper, snapper, and barracuda. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, muscle aches, and neurologic complaints including headache, numbness and tingling, hallucinations, and difficulty with balance (ataxia).

•             Mushroom ingestions can cause initial symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. Eating Amanita mushrooms can cause liver and kidney failure leading to death.

Bacterium Causes

•             Staphylococcus aureus poisoning is due to a toxin that is pre-formed in food before it is eaten. It causes vomiting within 1 to 6 hours after eating the contaminated food.

•             Bacillus cereus is an infection that occurs after eating poorly cooked or raw rice.

•             Clostridium perfringens produces a spore that may germinate in cooked meat that has been stored in an environment that was too warm. Within 8 to 12 hours, it may cause profuse diarrhea. 

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