European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health by Janet d Agostino medical writer the next time you Are enjoying yourself Al summer party think twice Belore Laking a extra serving of potato salad or a whipped Cream covered dessert. F the foods have been silting in he heal for too Long those innocent chunks of Olalo mixed Wilh Mayo or that luscious Cream could to a Haven or bacteria just wailing to cause havoc in your Gas Iron Leshnak tract. Food poisoning is on the Rise one out of every 10 americans will suffer a bout with diarrhoea caused by contaminated food this year the food and drug administration esl mates. Keeping food sate remains a worldwide Public health problem in both developing and developed countries despite great advances in modern technology according to world health the Magazine of the world health organization. Food becomes poisonous instead of nutritious when there is a Lack of care in processing or because Steps Are nol Aken o prevent contamination said or. I col Duong Nguyen chief of preventive Medicine Lor fran Lurl army regional medical Center. Food poisoning is caused mainly by bacteria that grow in food at certain temperatures. Foods that encourage the growth of bacteria include raw and cooked meat and poultry foods with meal As p base soups stocks gravies eggs milk and milk products fresh and Imi Lalion Cream cooked Rice and seafood to prevent bacterial growth food has to be kept above 156 degrees fahrenheit or below 50 degrees fahrenheit. Food should be kept in the refrigerator until shortly before being eaten. A Large number of food poisoning outbreaks result from food being prepared several hours before eating the world heal Al organization Magazine said. Most finess caused by food poisoning with the exception of botulism hits the gastrointestinal tract and causes nausea vomiting and diarrhoea along with headache and fever. These symptoms Are often referred to As gastroenteritis and May begin within one half hour to 43 hours after eating the contaminated food. The illness can be As mild As an Upsel stomach or so severe thai hospitalization is necessary Nguyen said. Gastroenteritis which is symptomatic of other illnesses As we As food poisoning will usually run its course without medical intervention said i col. Ellen Neiman. Community health nurse consultant for 7th medical come. The victim should drink plenty of fluids to replace what is being lost through the vomiting and diarrhoea she said. Medical care should be sought if symptoms increase it s enough to make you sick in severity or persist lot More than 24 hours she said. Children Trie elderly and people with other illnesses Are weakened More quickly by vomiting and diarrhoea and May need medical care sooner. Medical authorities should to notified immediately if other people who ate in the same Home or restaurant 33 the victim Are also suffering from the same symptoms 30 the source of he contamination can be traced. Neiman said. Although the symptoms of All kinds of food poisoning Are similar tha organisms thai cause the illness Are different. Organisms that can cause food poisoning include bacteria. Bacterial toxins Poison viruses Myc toxins from holds and protozoa one-celled1 bacteria such As the staphylococcus. Causa illness when Large numbers Are Ealen in food such As potato or Macaroni salad. Because the bacteria mul lipid rapidly in certain prepared foods Tel Al room temperature prompt and proper Rafrie Geralton of susceptible foods is needed to prevent illness Salmonella bacteria is believed to be the most. Common cause of disease from com laminated food the world health organization Magazine said. It multiplies rapidly at room temperature and May be found in raw meats poultry eggs fish milk and products made with them. Poultry is particularly susceptible to Salmonella contamination. Frozen poultry should to thawed in the refrigerator not at room temperature. Special care should be taken to Wash Ifie poultry thoroughly paper towels not cloths should be used to wipe poultry carcasses. Utensils and counter surfaces should be kept clean and hands should be washed Well after handling he raw poultry. Salmonella poisoning can to fatal in infants the elderly and people with other illnesses. Viruses and protozoa Are normally present in the human intestinal tract but can cause illness if they gel directly into food if it to handled by a person who fails to Wash his hands Afler a visit to the bathroom. The More Lood is handled by human hands the greater the chances of contamination and illness. Washing hands before preparing foods and washing raw foodstuffs before preparation help prevent contamination. Botulism a very serious Lype of Lood poisoning is caused by a toxin found in improperly canned or bottled food or improperly preserved meat or Tish the toxin is produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria which Are harmless to most people if eaten in foods that have not been preserved. The bacteria remain inactive unless Iney Aie put in an oxygen free Low acid environment required for their activation and growth. This occurs with inadequate processing of Low acid canned goods such As Green Beans mushrooms spinach olives and beef. Dont prepare foods too far in Advance dont keep perishable foods within the danger zone dont Cook meat that is not fully thawed 16 the stars and stripes tuesday july 21.1937