Foodborne illness, which is often called food poisoning, is a distressing and common problem for millions of people all over the world, including the United States. People with food-borne infections can sometimes be symptomless, or they may have symptoms that range from severe dehydration, to mild discomfort. Here, we'll attempt to answer what causes foodborne illnesses and how are they treated.
What Causes Foodborne Illnesses:
There are over 250 different organisms that can cause food poisoning. While we can't cover them all in this explanation of what causes foodborne illnesses and how are they treated, we can take a look at some of the most prevalent ones:
– E. coli is a common cause of food poisoning that affects around 73,000 people per year, according to the CDC.
– Salmonella is frequently the cause of food-borne illness that comes from eating under-cooked eggs or poultry.
– Shigella is a bacteria commonly transmitted in feces. It is responsible for causing dysentery, an infection that leads to severe diarrhea.
– Campylobacter is a bacteria that causes serious diarrhea. Usually, transmission comes from contaminated water foods, and unpasteurized milk
– Botulism is a rare and serious illness. There are three main types: infant botulism, wound botulism, and foodborne botulism.
How Can Foodborne Illnesses be Treated?
If you believe that you may have a foodborne disease, the type of infection you have will dictate the treatment that you need. For instance, if you have a Campylobacter infection, then your doctor will need to test a sample of your stool. Usually, you'll be able to recover without any significant treatment, but you will need to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. In severe cases, antibiotics might be given to shorten the length of the time you're sick.
Salmonellosis is also a form of foodborne infection that can usually go away on its own, usually in a period of around five to seven days. When it comes to understanding what causes foodborne illnesses and how are they treated, it's worth noting that treatment is usually only required for salmonellosis if the infection spreads beyond the intestines.
Shigellosis can go away by itself for people who only have mild infections. However, in the case of severe infection, aggressive treatment may be required to reduce the risk of dehydration, alongside the use of antibiotics.
Meanwhile, people with an E. coli infection can take longer to recover than people with other food-borne illnesses. However, it's still possible to overcome this without any special medication or treatment, although the symptoms need to be managed.
Finally, a diagnosis of one of the rare forms of foodborne illnesses, botulism, can be made by examining the presence of appropriate symptoms which might include nerve weakness. Lab tests will also be able to detect samples of botulism within the patient's stool. Respiratory failure can occur with severe botulism, which means that a person may require intensive nursing and medical care in a hospital facility. Fortunately, thanks to anti-toxin medicines, it is possible to treat botulism when the condition is detected during the early stages.