Food poisoning may be from bacterial action in food or from chemicals (toxins) added to food. From ancient times, we have employed poisons in social strife. Many rulers, including popes, employed a “taster” (generally a slave or servant) to eat from their food before they proceeded to eat. If the taster did not die, the ruler would eat. This is because some poisons, once you consume them, take you to a point of no return. They may act fast and destructively and may have no easy antidote. People who experience evil rivalries or enmities often find themselves wary of the possibility of being poisoned.
The most toxic poison known to man is botulinum toxin produced by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Fortunately, the bacterium can be destroyed by adequate cooking. Botulinum toxin can accumulate in rotten meat and feces and can contaminate foods and drinks. You need only one gram of it to kill about 80,000 people.
Some poisons cannot be tasted in food but they are deadly and only a miracle can save you from them. No wonder our parents taught us to pray before eating. I often wonder that Jesus told his followers that they shall drink poison and it will not hurt them. Obviously in his time and always, poisons may appear in our foods because they are regularly employed by enemies and people who see us as threats.
Undetectable poisons include arsenic, sodium cyanide, potassium cyanide, compound 1080 (pesticide) and many drugs. Ricin from castor oil seeds is also a deadly poison. Potassium chloride, injected or taken orally in overdose, produces cardiac arrest (stops the heart) and causes rapid death. For autopsy, it leaves a void. These are some of the tools of professional assassins and people who have lost their minds.
Inadvertent food poisoning may come from poor hygiene and bad cooking. If you consume food that contains harmful bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms and poisonous chemicals that they produce, you get food poisoning. Some of the notorious microorganisms that cause food poisoning are: Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Norovirus (stomach flu), Rotavirus (common in infants), Campylobacter enteritis, Bacillus cereus (found in starchy foods such as rice), Toxoplasma, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes (may progress to meningitis (brain infection)), Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium botulinum (nerve poison causing botulism), Vibrio cholera, Vibrio parahaemolyticus (found in fish and causes undercooked fish poisoning), Shigella (causes traveller’s diarrhoea) and Hepatitis A virus. These bacteria in culture are sometimes employed maliciously as a biological weapon to poison foods and drinks. Clostridium botulinum can be airborne and is a potential terrorist weapon for mass destruction. Diarrhoea and poisoning by parasites tend to last longer than bacterial poisoning. Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and Toxoplasma are transmitted through poor quality water and other means.
Bacteria may act directly on the intestines to cause inflammation and impairment of water and nutrient absorption, hence diarrhoea or bacteria may produce toxins. These toxins can induce nausea and vomiting, kidney failure, and death.
Bacterial food poisoning outbreak often occurs after large gathering feeding (picnics, social functions), during festivities, or in public eateries such as restaurants and school cafeterias. Travellers often get food poisoning in environments that they are not acclimatized to or lack immunity for (traveller’s sickness).
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should especially take care to protect the foetus from Listeria and other infections. Older people and people with chronic illnesses may have weakened immunity and could be more prone to severe food poisoning.
The common types of food poisoning start about 2-6 hours after consuming the poison. Symptoms of food poisoning include: abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever and chills, headache, nausea and vomiting, and weakness.
In many cases of food poisoning, the person recovers without any special treatment within one or two days. Generally, a person may need to manage the diarrhoea, control nausea and vomiting, and rest. Your pharmacist can assist you. If symptoms of food poisoning are severe or chronic, (e.g. bloody stools) you should get clinical attention. Some cases may be deadly. Salmonella, Toxoplasma, and Listeria can kill especially in people with kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, or those receiving chemotherapy for cancer and have weaker immunity. Hepatitis A virus causes jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin). Food poisoning in children less than 3 years old, pregnant women, people with chronic illness, people who are on oral medication and are vomiting, and people with weak immunity such as HIV/AIDS or cancer patients should always be taken to a doctor.
Non-bacterial toxic agents in foods can also cause food sickness. These include pesticides on fruits and vegetables. Some foods have natural toxins and should be properly prepared: cassava has cyanide, mushrooms and some fish have constitutive toxins, and some fish have toxins in algae they consume. If such fish are not safely prepared for eating they can produce sickness (e.g. ciguatera and scombroid).
We may think we have stored meat, fish, and dairy products well by refrigerating them. While away from home or at work, long power-cuts may cause bacteria build-up even in foods that still look fresh. Improper storage, refrigeration, or handling of food can easily produce food poising.
Life is short and we must enjoy our eating and drinking (as well as our fasting). Let us not spoil it with poison, through carelessness or through malice. Bon appetite!
Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910
