The Environmental Health Division of the Henry and Stark County Health Department notes that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "76 million Americans contract foodborne diseases every year, affecting more people than the common cold." But many of the symptoms of food poisoning mimic those of the garden-variety flu, sometimes leaving people to wonder if the cause was the food they ate or a virus they picked up along the way.
Despite the prevalence of foodborne illnesses, it can be hard to recognize them. Like people with the "stomach flu," those with foodborne illness usually suffer from vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Kurt Kuchle, Director of Environmental Health Services with the Health Department states, " There's no real easy way to distinguish between many types of foodborne illness and a flu bug, but with the flu, one might be more apt to see generalized aches and pains and just overall not feeling well."
The telltale sign of food poisoning is usually the quick onset of the symptoms. Foodborne illnesses are, by and large, illness that occur in close proximity to exposure. If a large number of people have the same symptoms at the same time, then the cause is most likely food poisoning.
However, if people are ill at different times their symptoms are more likely to be flu-related, as it takes time to pass the virus from person to person.
Kuchle adds, "Though most foodborne disease outbreaks don't occur during the holidays (they occur most often in the summer), the holidays warrant special attention because certain foods and food practices popular during the season can increase the risk for foodborne illness."
The Health Department staff offers the following food safety suggestions:
* Clean: Wash hands and food -contact surfaces often. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges, and countertops.
* Separate: Don't cross-contaminate. Don't let bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Experts caution to keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
* Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
* Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Public health officials advise consumers to refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Refrigerators should be set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degrees, and the accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer.
According to Kuchle, "The holidays don't always make it easy for food handlers to follow this advice. One reason is that people get caught up in the hectic pace of the holiday season. People get sloppy. They're busy, and they lose the vigilance that they might follow at other times of the year. The traditional advice should always be applied: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold."
For more information on food safety you may contact the Health Department at (309) 852-0197 (Henry) or (309) 852-3115 (Stark)
