Report on the topic of foodborne infectious diseases. How to distinguish food poisoning from an intestinal infection? Contamination by microorganisms and their metabolites

Diseases arising from the consumption of food products infected with toxigenic microorganisms are called foodborne diseases. Contamination of food products with these microbes can occur through the hands of personnel in food production, trade and catering establishments, as well as through bacilli, bacteria and virus carriers working in these areas; through the air of production premises, through water that does not meet sanitary requirements, and ice obtained from it, which comes into contact with products during storage; through dirty containers. Fruits, vegetables and berries become contaminated when grown in soil fertilized with feces. Meat and milk can be contaminated with toxinogenic microflora if they are obtained from sick animals.

Based on the origin and symptoms of the disease, foodborne diseases are usually divided into several groups:

Foodborne infections- these include infectious diseases in which food products are only transmitters of toxigenic microbes; they do not multiply in them, but can long time maintain viability and virulence.

For a disease to occur, it is enough to contain a small number of pathogen cells in the product, which, once in macroorganisms, actively multiply and cause a certain disease. The source of food contamination by foodborne pathogens are people and animals (patients and carriers of infections).

Food poisoning(intoxication) - pathogens, unlike pathogens of food infections, are able to live and actively reproduce on food. At the same time, food products, without noticeably changing their organoleptic properties, become toxic as a result of the accumulation of toxins in them.

Foodborne illnesses is a group of diseases that occupy an intermediate position between typical infections and food poisoning. They occur like intoxications, like acute gastrointestinal diseases, and at the same time they are contagious.

Diarrhea“travelers” - the occurrence of frequent loose stools due to a change in place of residence. People who travel to other countries and continents may experience diarrhea as a result of consuming local food and water containing different microflora.

Foodborne infections

Typhoid fever- severe infectious disease. Incubation period- 7-23 days. Pathogens are pathogenic only for humans. These are small, mobile, non-spore-forming rods that are facultative anaerobes. Optimal temperature their development is about 37°C. They are sensitive to heat and die in a few seconds when boiled. These bacteria easily tolerate drying and low temperatures. The causative agents of the disease enter the body through the mouth, esophagus, are localized in the small intestine, and then enter the intestinal lymph nodes and other organs. When pathogen cells are destroyed, a potent toxin is released in the body. The disease is manifested by inflammation and ulceration of the small intestines, accompanied by acute diarrhea, feverish rise in temperature and general weakness.

Bacterial dysentery- the disease is caused by a number of biologically close bacteria, united in the genus Shigella. Dysentery bacteria are facultative anaerobes, the optimal growth temperature is 37°C, they are quite resistant to external environment: survive on soil for several months, tolerating low temperatures well; They are stored for a long time in milk, cottage cheese, on unwashed vegetables and fruits, as well as in raw water. The source of dysentery is a sick person who excretes dysentery bacilli in their feces.

Dysentery begins acutely with a rise in temperature to 38-39°C; the patient is bothered by chills, headache, body aches, cutting pains in the lower abdomen, stools become rapid, liquid, with mucus, sometimes with blood. The act of defecation is accompanied by nagging pain (tenesmus).

The disease will spread through dirty hands, from where pathogens get on food products, through vegetables, fruits, water, raw dairy products and any prepared food through contamination during preparation or storage in unsanitary conditions.

Cholera- severe infectious disease. The causative agent is Vibrio - a mobile, non-spore-forming, gram-negative, comma-shaped rod. Vibrio cholerae is a facultative anaerobe; the optimal temperature for its growth is 25-37°C. At a temperature of 55°C it dies after 25-30 minutes, at a temperature of 80°C - after 5 minutes. Vibrio is resistant to low temperatures, but sensitive to the acidity of the environment. The incubation period ranges from several hours to several days.

Signs: sudden uncontrollable diarrhea and vomiting, severe dehydration, headache, weakness, dizziness, temperature drops to 35°C, convulsions, possible death.

Brucellosis- a disease that affects not only humans, but almost all animals and birds. Brucella are strict anaerobes, the optimal growth temperature is 37°C. Brucella of small and large livestock have the form of cocci and coccobacteria, while brucella of pigs have the form of rods. They are gram-negative, immobile, and do not form spores. They can be preserved in food products for a long time, but quickly die under the influence of high temperatures.

The most dangerous pathogen for humans is brucellosis in sheep and goats. The disease is associated with the consumption of milk and dairy products. The incubation period is 4-20 days. The disease occurs when pathogens enter the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, and even through intact skin. Then they enter the lymph nodes, enter the blood and spread throughout the body, penetrating the liver, kidneys, spleen, bone marrow, and lungs. Usual symptoms: general weakness, chills, swelling and pain in joints and muscles, severe headache, insomnia, irritability, various skin rashes. Preventive measures include boiling milk before consumption and boiling meat until the temperature inside the pieces reaches at least 80°C.

Tuberculosis- infectious, chronic disease. Tuberculosis bacteria are thin, straight or slightly curved rods, sometimes have small swellings at the ends, are immobile, and do not form spores or capsules. They are typical aerobes, the optimal growth temperature is 37°C. Resistant to various environmental factors, including acids. When boiled, they die within 5-10 seconds.

The source of infection is sick people, less often animals. The disease spreads through the air by droplets or contact. Infection usually occurs through the respiratory tract, but sometimes through the intestines through consumption of contaminated food.

Hepatitis A- a contagious form of jaundice. The hepatitis A virus is found in the feces, plasma, bile and stomach contents of sick people at the end of the incubation period and in the acute stage of the disease. The virus has a spherical shape. The virus is very persistent - without water and at the North Pole it survives for several months and even years, and is not afraid of exposure to chemicals - acids, ether, alcohol. But it dies when boiled in just 5 minutes. The source of the virus is sick people and virus carriers. The pathogen is transmitted from patients to healthy people through infected feces and water, food, and also through flies. The incubation period is 3-6 weeks. The disease is characterized by jaundice, liver pain, low-grade fever; total duration - 1.5-2 months.

anthrax- an acute and very dangerous infectious disease of animals and humans. Anthrax bacilli are large in size; are located in pairs or short chains in the body and in long chains in nutrient media. The bacilli are immobile; in the body of animals and humans they form capsules surrounding both individual individuals and chains. The causative agent of anthrax is an aerobe and a facultative anaerobe, the optimal growth temperature is 37-38ºC. The spores are highly resistant; they can withstand boiling for a long time and even autoclaving at a temperature of 130°C for 5-10 minutes; remain for years in the soil, on skins, hair, etc.

Human infection can occur as a result of direct contact with sick animals, by eating meat or milk of sick animals, through infected raw materials and products made from them.

Signs: headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and death often occurs after 5-8 days.

foot and mouth disease- foodborne infectious disease of a viral nature. It is a contagious disease of cattle, blue and sheep that can be transmitted to humans. The foot and mouth disease virus is one of the smallest in size. It is not resistant to heat, alkalis, and antiseptic substances. In the external environment at a temperature of 37°C it remains viable for several days; in animal secretions it remains viable for up to 2 months. A person becomes infected from sick animals through direct contact. The incubation period is about a week. General weakness appears, and blisters appear on the inflamed mucous membrane of the mouth, which turn into painful ulcers. The disease is usually mild, but sometimes ends in death.

An infectious disease is a process that occurs in the human body when pathogenic or pathogenic microorganisms penetrate it. The source of infection can be a sick person or animal, whose secretions (feces, urine, sputum, etc.) contain pathogenic microbes. In addition to the patient, the source of infection may be bacteria carrier, those. a person in whose body the causative agent of the disease resides, but the person himself remains practically healthy.

Pathogenic microorganisms enter the human body through the respiratory organs, mouth, skin and other routes, with soil, air, water, food, etc. From the moment the pathogen enters the human body until the manifestation of the disease, a certain period of time passes, called hidden, or incubation, period. During this period, microorganisms develop with the formation of toxic substances - toxins.

In the fight against pathogenic microbes, a person’s defenses act, which depend on his general state of health, therefore the manifestation and duration of the disease vary.

Sometimes people turn out to be immune to certain infectious diseases. This immunity is called immunity, which can be natural (congenital or acquired after an illness) or artificial (created by vaccinations). Artificial immunity can be active (occurs after the introduction of a vaccine) and passive (occurs after the administration of serums).

Diseases that arise in humans from pathogenic microbes that enter the body with food (or water) are called foodborne infectious diseases. These include acute intestinal infections(typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, salmonellosis, etc.). Some diseases are transmitted to humans from sick animals (tuberculosis, brucellosis, foot and mouth disease, anthrax, etc.). They are called zoonoses.

Acute intestinal infections- these are the most common diseases, called “dirty hand diseases”, the pathogens of which can enter the human body through the mouth with food prepared in violation of sanitary and hygienic rules.

Pathogens of intestinal infections retain their viability in the external environment for a long time. Thus, the dysentery bacillus does not die on vegetables and fruits within 6...17 days, the typhoid bacillus on bread - within 30 days, and the cholera pathogen in water - up to 2 years.

Dysentery - a disease that occurs when a microbe - dysentery bacillus - enters the human intestines with food. The incubation period of the disease is 2 ... 5 days. Signs of the disease: weakness, fever, pain in the intestines, repeated loose stools, sometimes with blood and mucus. After recovery, a person may remain a carrier of the bacteria.

The causative agents of dysentery are immobile rods, aerobes, and do not form spores. The optimal temperature for their development is 37 °C, they die at a temperature of 60 °C within 10 ... 15 minutes, and tolerate cooling well.

Dysentery is transmitted through vegetables, fruits, water, dairy products consumed raw, and any prepared food contaminated during preparation and storage in unsanitary conditions.

Typhoid fever - a severe infectious disease caused by typhoid fever. The incubation period of the disease is 7 ... 23 days. Signs of the disease: acute intestinal dysfunction, severe weakness, rash, prolonged high fever (up to 40 ° C), delirium, headache, insomnia. After recovery, prolonged carriage of the bacteria is possible.

The causative agents of typhoid fever are motile rods that do not form spores, conditional anaerobes. The optimal temperature for their development is 37 °C. They are resistant to cold and drying, but die at 60°C after 15...20 minutes.

Human infection occurs through water and various food products (milk, dairy products, jellies, jellied dishes, sausages), which are prepared, stored, and transported in violation of sanitary and hygienic rules.

Cholera - a particularly dangerous infection that enters the human body through the mouth. The incubation period of the disease is 2 ... 6 days. Signs of the disease: sudden, uncontrollable diarrhea and vomiting, severely dehydrating the body, weakness, headache, dizziness, temperature 35 "C, convulsions. If emergency measures are not taken, death may occur. After recovery, bacterial carriage is possible.

The causative agent of the disease is Vibrio cholerae. The optimal temperature for its development is 37 "C. It tolerates low temperatures and freezing well, it dies when dried, from exposure to sunlight, when boiled for 1 minute, in acidic environment- instantly.

The infection is transmitted through water and food prepared and stored in unsanitary conditions.

Epidemic hepatitis(infectious jaundice, Botkin's disease) is an acute infectious disease with predominantly liver damage. The disease is named after S.P. Botkin, who established its infectious nature. The incubation period is from 14 days to 6 months. The disease begins gradually: weakness, loose stools, fever, then

the liver enlarges, dark urine is secreted, and yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes appears. The illness lasts 2...3 weeks, sometimes it lasts up to 2...3 months. More often it ends in recovery, but sometimes complications arise in the form of cholecystitis and cirrhosis of the liver.

The causative agent of the disease is a filterable virus, resistant to drying, freezing, and dies when boiled for 30 ... 40 minutes. The virus only affects humans. The patient has it in the blood and is excreted in urine and feces.

Infection occurs by consuming food and water contaminated with the virus, by violating personal hygiene rules (dirty hands, flies) or through blood.

Hepatitis B is especially dangerous for human health and life, the virus of which enters the body of a healthy person, in addition to the mentioned routes, and through sexual contact through contact with a sick person. Hepatitis B can be complicated by severe liver cirrhosis, which can be fatal.

Salmonellosis- a disease caused by Salmonella microbes occurs 3...5 hours after eating food contaminated with bacteria. In the intestines, Salmonella causes inflammation of the mucous membrane. When bacteria die, a toxin is released, which, together with living microbes, is absorbed into the blood. The patient experiences nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, high temperature (38 ... 39 ° C). The disease lasts 2...7 days. The mortality rate for salmonellosis is 1%. After recovery, cases of bacterial carriage are possible.

Salmonella are short, mobile rods that do not form spores, conditional anaerobes, named after the scientist Salmon, who discovered them. Their development optimum is 37°C, they develop well at room temperature, are stable in the external environment, stop development at 4°C, and die at 70...75°C for 30 minutes.

The source of salmonella spread is animals: large and small cattle, pigs, horses, birds, especially waterfowl, dogs, rodents. With the feces of these animals, salmonella enters the soil and water.

There are various reasons why food products are contaminated with Salmonella. Catering establishments may receive products contaminated with salmonella (primary seeding). Such products include meat, poultry, eggs, milk, fish. The most common cause of salmonellosis is meat and meat products. Contamination of meat can occur during the life of the animal. When such animals are forced to be slaughtered, the meat is always contaminated with salmonella. Contamination of meat is possible both during slaughter and during cutting of carcasses through contamination with intestinal contents.

Birds, especially waterfowl (geese, ducks), become infected in the same way as livestock. Poultry eggs, especially goose and duck eggs, become infected during formation and laying, milk - during milking and processing. Fish become infected through bodies of water, in their muscle tissue Salmonella enters from the intestines.

Salmonellosis can occur from secondary seeding food with salmonella in case of violation of sanitary rules for its preparation and storage. Secondary contamination of dishes prepared after heat treatment is most possible: jelly, jellied meat, minced meat for pancakes and pies, pates, salads, vinaigrettes. Violation of personal hygiene rules, flies, dirty tableware and kitchen utensils, especially cutting boards, also contribute to the occurrence of salmonellosis.

Measures to prevent acute intestinal infections in public catering establishments are as follows:

1. examination of cooks, confectioners and other catering workers for bacterial carriage at least once a year;

2. observance of personal hygiene rules by cooks, confectioners and other food service workers;

3. careful care of kitchen and tableware, equipment, compliance with the markings of cutting boards;

4. strict adherence to cleanliness in the workplace and workshop;

5. extermination of flies, cockroaches and rodents;

6. boiling water from open reservoirs when used; it for food and drink;

7. Thorough washing of vegetables, fruits, berries, especially those eaten raw;

8. use of meat with a mark indicating that it has passed veterinary and sanitary control;

9. quick preparation of chopped semi-finished products, including cutlet mass, thereby preventing the proliferation of salmonella;

10. strict adherence to the technology of processing and preparation of meat, fish, dairy dishes and egg dishes;

11. mandatory secondary heat treatment of perishable meat dishes (jelly, jellied meat, minced meat for pancakes, pates, boiled meat and poultry after cutting) during the cooking process;

12. protecting salads, vinaigrettes and other cold dishes from contamination by hands during preparation;

13. storage of prepared food for no more than the established period at a temperature of 2 - 6 °C or hot not lower than 65 °C; repeated heat treatment of long-stored food.

Zoonoses- infectious diseases characteristic of animals.

Brucellosis- a severe infectious disease accompanied by attacks of fever, swelling and pain in the joints and muscles. The incubation period is 4 ... 20 days. The duration of the disease is from several weeks to several months. The causative agent is Brucella - a small rod-shaped bacterium with an optimal development temperature of 37 ° C, which dies during heat treatment. Human infection occurs through

milk, dairy products (cheese, feta cheese, butter) and meat, in which Brucella survives from 8 to 60 days.

Tuberculosis- an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and lymph nodes. Humans become infected from sick animals, birds and people. The causative agent of the disease is the tuberculosis bacillus, which is resistant to drying and freezing and persists on food products for up to 2 months. It dies when boiled for 10 minutes.

The tuberculosis bacillus enters the body of a healthy person with raw milk and dairy products, as well as with poorly cooked or fried meat obtained from animals with tuberculosis. Infection is transmitted from a sick person through airborne droplets or contact.

anthrax- a particularly dangerous acute infectious disease of animals and humans that affects the skin, lungs or intestines. With this disease, all functions of the body are disrupted, the temperature rises to 40 ° C, weakness of cardiac activity occurs, and in the intestinal form, vomiting and diarrhea appear. Fatalities are common.

The causative agent of anthrax is a bacillus whose spores are very resistant to environmental influences and chemicals. The infection is transmitted through the meat and milk of sick animals; in direct contact with them and animal products (wool, leather, etc.).

The main role in the prevention of this terrible disease belongs to strict veterinary control of animals. Meat from sick animals cannot be processed; sick animals are destroyed.

foot and mouth disease- a contagious disease of viral origin, transmitted to humans from sick animals through meat and milk. This disease manifests itself in the form of inflammation and ulceration of the oral mucosa.

The foot-and-mouth disease virus is not resistant to heat treatment and weak organic acids; it dies when meat is cooked.

Measures to prevent zoonotic diseases in public catering establishments are as follows:

1. Checking the presence of a mark on meat carcasses, indicating a veterinary and sanitary inspection of raw materials.

2. Thoroughly boiling and frying meat dishes.

3. Boiling milk, using curdled milk. Samokvass is used only for preparing dough, and unpasteurized cottage cheese is used for preparing dishes that are subject to heat treatment.

Food poisoning- acute diseases that arise from eating food containing substances of microbial and non-microbial nature that are toxic to the body. Unlike intestinal infections, food poisoning occurs quickly in people and lasts several days, but in some cases it becomes very severe and can be fatal. Children, elderly people and people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases are especially sensitive to food poisoning.

Most poisonings have similar symptoms of the disease: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, dizziness. Such patients urgently need to call a doctor and provide first aid: rinse the stomach with 3 ... 5 glasses clean water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, or a solution of soda and induce artificial vomiting.

Food poisoning, depending on the cause of the disease, can be of microbial (bacterial and mycotoxicosis) and non-microbial origin (Fig. 3.1).

Food poisoning of bacterial origin arise from eating food containing live pathogenic microbes or their poisons. Bacterial poisoning accounts for up to 90% of all food poisoning cases. They mainly occur in the summer, since the warm season promotes the proliferation of microbes in food.

Poisoning caused by living bacteria that enter the body with food is called food poisoning. toxic infections. This group of poisonings includes poisoning by opportunistic microbes. The peculiarity of these diseases is that the formation of poison (toxin) occurs in the human body, where microbes enter along with food.

Poisoning caused by poisons accumulated in food during the life of bacteria is called bacterial toxicoses. These include botulism and staphylococcal poisoning.

Poisoning by opportunistic microbes arise from the entry into the human body of a large number of E. coli or microbes - Proteus. Poisoning occurs like salmonella infections, but is less severe. Escherichia coli and Proteus live in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals and are widespread in nature. Food poisoning occurs only when food is heavily contaminated with these microbes. When food is slightly contaminated, poisoning does not occur, which is why these microbes are called opportunistic (opportunistic).

E. coli gets into food products when personal hygiene rules are violated, especially from the cook’s dirty hands, when he violates sanitary rules for preparing and storing food, or when workplaces, workshops, and kitchen equipment are kept unsanitary.

The number of E. coli found during a sanitary examination of equipment, utensils, utensils, cooks’, confectioners’ hands and food serves as an indicator of the sanitary condition of a catering establishment.

To assess the sanitary condition of food products and water in them, the coli-titer is determined, i.e. the smallest amount of test material containing 1 E. coli. The lower the titer, the higher the contamination of the product with E. coli, the worse the sanitary condition of the product, the more reason to fear that it may contain pathogenic microbes. For drinking water, milk and some meat products, coli titer limits are specified in the standards.

Measures to prevent toxic infections caused by E. coli and Proteus boil down to the following:

1. eliminating the causes of food contamination by microbes;

2. preventing the proliferation of microbes;

3. thorough heat treatment of food products;

4. proper food storage.

Botulism- food poisoning containing a potent poison (toxin) of the botulinus microbe. Poisoning occurs within 24 hours after ingesting contaminated food.

The main signs of the disease are: double vision, decreased clarity of vision (feeling of fog, grids before the eyes), headache, unsteady gait. Then loss of voice, paralysis of the eyelids, involuntary movement of the eyeballs, tension of the masticatory muscles, paralysis of the soft palate, and difficulty swallowing may occur. All these signs are the result of brain poisoning. Without timely treatment, death from respiratory distress may occur. In the absence of treatment with a special serum, the fatal outcome of the disease reaches 70%.

Botulinus is a spore-bearing long rod (bacillus), mobile, anaerobic, unstable to heat, dies at 80 ° C for 15 minutes. IN unfavorable conditions botulinus forms very persistent spores that can withstand heating up to 100 °C for 5 hours, delay their development in an acidic environment, die at 120 °C for 20 minutes (sterilization). Once in food products, spores in favorable conditions germinate into vegetative a cell (botulinus bacillus), which during the day at a temperature of 15 to 37 ° C and the absence of air releases a toxin - a strong poison.

for humans it is considered 0.035 mg. The development of botulinus is accompanied by the formation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, as evidenced by swollen lids of cans (bombing). The toxin is formed in the deep layers of the product, basically without changing its quality; only a slight smell of rancid oil is noted. The toxin is destroyed throughout the entire depth of the product when it is heated to 100 °C for 1 hour. Botulinus is found in nature in soil, sea silt, water, and is found in the intestines of fish and animals.

If sanitary rules for preparation and storage are violated, food may become contaminated with botulinus. Botulism is mainly caused by various canned foods, especially homemade, due to insufficient sterilization; ham, ham, sausages due to improper storage; fish, especially sturgeon, as a result of violations of the rules of fishing, cutting and storing it.

To prevent botulism in public catering establishments it is necessary:

1. check all canned food for bombing and store them in a refrigerator;

2. accept fresh sturgeon fish for production only in frozen form; speed up the processing process;

3. store ham, hams, sausages at a temperature of 2-6 "C, strictly adhere to the deadlines for sale;

4. observe the rules of sanitary conditions and thorough heat treatment during the cooking process;

5. comply with the conditions, terms of storage and sale of prepared food.

Staphylococcal poisoning is an acute disease resulting from eating food containing staphylococcal toxin. The disease occurs 2 ... 4 hours after eating food contaminated with poison, accompanied by cutting pain in the abdomen, repeated profuse vomiting, general weakness, headache, dizziness at normal body temperature. Poisoning lasts 1...3 days. There are no deaths.

The causative agent of the disease is Staphylococcus aureus, which forms colonies in the form of clusters of golden grapes, is immobile, and dies at a temperature of 70 ° C for 30 minutes. When exposed to various food products, especially those with high humidity and containing starch and sugar, staphylococcus multiplies and secretes poison at temperatures from 15 to 37 ° C, both in the presence of air and without it. At the same time, the quality of the product does not change. The poison (enterotoxin) is neutralized by boiling at 100 °C for 1.5 ... 2 hours. Staphylococcus aureus is widespread in nature (found on festering wounds of humans and animals).

The main products and causes of this poisoning are the following: milk and dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, cheese curds, etc.), infected with microbes through abscesses on the udders of cows or the hands of milkmaids; cream confectionery and any prepared food contaminated with staphylococcus sick (pustular skin diseases or tonsillitis)

pastry chefs or cooks; canned fish in oil, contaminated by microbes during the cooking process.

To prevent staphylococcal poisoning it is necessary:

1. daily check cooks and confectioners for the presence of pustular skin diseases, sore throat and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract;

2. strictly observe the temperature regime for heat treatment of all dishes and products;

3. store prepared food no more deadline at a temperature of 2 ... 6 ° C or hot not lower than 65 ° C;

4. be sure to boil milk, use unpasteurized cottage cheese for dishes subject to heat treatment, and yogurt - only for dough; fermented milk products (kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, acidophilus) are poured into glasses from bottles, without pouring into cauldrons;

5. store confectionery products with cream at a temperature of 2 ... 6 ° C, observe the deadlines for their sale. IN summer period custard, butter, and curd creams must be made only with the permission of local centers of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision;

6. store canned fish in oil at a temperature not exceeding 4 °C.

Mycotoxicoses- poisoning resulting from the ingestion of food contaminated by the poisons of microscopic fungi into the human body. Mycotoxicosis occurs mainly from the consumption of contaminated grain products and leguminous crops. Poisonings in this group include ergotism, fusariotoxicosis, and aflotoxicosis.

Fusariotoxicoses arise as a result of consumption of grain products that have overwintered in the field or have become moist and moldy. Such grain is affected by microscopic fungi that release toxic substances. Poisoning with the poisons of this fungus manifests itself in the form of a sore throat or mental disorder- poisoning with “drunk bread”. A measure to prevent poisoning is strict adherence to grain storage rules.

Aflotoxicosis - poisoning caused by the poisons of microscopic fungi when consuming peanuts and products made from wheat, rye, barley, rice that have become moist and moldy during storage. To prevent poisoning, it is necessary to comply with the storage conditions for flour, cereals, and peanuts.

Food poisoning of non-microbial origin. Poisonings in this group make up about 10% of the total number of poisonings.

According to the classification, poisoning of non-microbial origin is divided into:

1. poisoning with foods that are poisonous by nature - mushrooms, stone fruit kernels, raw beans, some types of fish;

2. poisoning with temporarily poisonous products - potatoes, fish during the spawning period;

3. poisoning with toxic impurities - zinc, lead, copper, arsenic.

Mushroom poisoning is mainly seasonal in nature, because it is more often observed in spring and late summer when they are collected and consumed in large quantities. Strings, toadstool, fly agarics, false honey mushrooms and a number of other mushrooms are poisonous. Mushroom poisoning is very dangerous. Thus, consumption of toadstool causes death in 90% of cases.

Measures to prevent these poisonings: dried, salted and pickled forest mushrooms should be supplied to catering establishments sorted by type. Only champignons grown in greenhouses can be used fresh.

Poisoning with stone fruit kernels arise due to the presence in them of the glycoside amygdalin, which, when hydrolyzed in the human body, forms hydrocyanic acid. At public catering establishments it is prohibited to use the kernels of plums, peaches, apricots, cherries and bitter almonds in the production of confectionery products.

Raw bean poisoning due to the presence of phasin poison in it, which is destroyed during heat treatment. Poisoning often occurs from the consumption of bean flour and concentrates, the production of which is currently prohibited. When preparing food from beans, special attention should be paid to the heat treatment mode.

Poisoning with certain types of fish(marinka, barbel, pufferfish) occurs due to the fact that their eggs and milt are poisonous. These types of fish must be supplied to catering establishments gutted.

Sprouted potato poisoning caused by the presence of solanine glycoside, contained in the eyes and skin of tubers. There is especially a lot of solanine in unripe, sprouted and green potatoes. In order to prevent this poisoning, it is necessary to thoroughly peel and clean the eyes of the potatoes. In spring, heavily sprouted tubers should be boiled only peeled; their decoctions cannot be used.

Zinc poisoning occurs when using galvanized utensils for cooking and storing food. According to sanitary rules, in catering establishments this utensil is used only for storing bulk products and water.

Lead poisoning possible when using tinned and glazed ceramic dishes for cooking. According to sanitary standards, the lead content should not exceed 1% in half-glaze, and 12% in the glaze of pottery.

Copper poisoning occurs when using copper utensils, which are prohibited in public catering establishments.

Arsenic poisoning observed when it gets into food products due to careless storage of arsenic preparations or when consuming vegetables and fruits treated with pesticides containing arsenic. Measures to prevent this poisoning include thorough washing of vegetables and fruits and monitoring the storage and use of pesticides.

Helminthic diseases(helminthiases) occur in humans as a result of damage to the body by worms (helminths), the eggs or larvae of which came from food prepared in violation of sanitary rules.

Worms go through three stages in their development - eggs, larvae and adult helminths. In most cases, the adult stage of development of worms occurs in the human body (primary host), and the larval stage in the body of animals or fish (intermediate host).

Helminthic diseases manifest themselves in humans as anemia, growth retardation and mental development in children, etc.

A healthy person becomes infected from a patient who releases worm eggs into the external environment with feces. Worm eggs, entering the body of animals or fish with food, turn into larvae that infect various organs and muscles. In the human body, the larvae turn into adult worms. Most often, a person is affected by the following worms: roundworms, tapeworms, trichinella, tapeworm, opisthorchiasis, echinococcus.

Echinococcus- tapeworm 1 cm long; Its main hosts are dogs, wolves, and foxes, in which the helminth parasitizes in the intestines. Intermediate host- a person in whose body the larva of echinococcus infects the brain, lungs, and liver. Human infection occurs through poorly processed vegetables, fruits, water from open reservoirs and through dirty hands after contact with sick animals.

To prevent helminthic diseases in public catering establishments it is necessary:

1. check cooks, confectioners and other workers for helminth carriage at least once a year;

2. thoroughly wash vegetables, fruits, berries, especially those eaten raw;

3. boil water from open reservoirs when using it for food;

4. check the presence of brands on meat carcasses;

5. thoroughly boil and fry meat and fish;

6. observe the rules of personal hygiene, cleanliness in the workplace, in the workshop, and destroy flies.

ANTI-ALIMENTARY FACTORS

Lesson plan:

1. Antienzymes.

2. Antivitamins.

3. Substances that block the absorption or metabolism of amino acids.

4. Demineralizing agents.

Antinutritive factors include compounds that do not have general toxicity, but have the ability to selectively impair or block the absorption of nutrients. This term applies only to substances of natural origin that are components of natural food products. Representatives of this group of substances are considered as unique antagonists of conventional nutrients. This group includes antienzymes, antivitamins, demineralizing substances, and other compounds.

1. Antienzymes (proteinase inhibitors) - protein substances that block enzyme activity. Contained in raw legumes, egg whites, wheat, barley, and other products of plant and animal origin that have not been cooked.

The mechanism of action of these anti-alimentary substances is to suppress the activity of the main proteolytic enzymes of the pancreas: trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase. The result of this blockade is a decrease in the absorption of protein substances in the diet.

The plant-based inhibitors under consideration are characterized by relatively high thermal stability, which is not typical for protein substances. Heating dry plant products containing these inhibitors to 130 °C or boiling for half an hour does not lead to a significant decrease in their inhibitory properties. Complete destruction of soy trypsin inhibitor is achieved by 20-minute autoclaving at 115 ° C or boiling soybeans for 2-3 hours. Animal-derived inhibitors are more sensitive to heat. Heat treatment of food raw materials leads to denaturation of the protein molecule of the antienzyme, i.e. it affects digestion only when raw food is consumed. For example, consumption raw eggs in large quantities can have a negative effect on the absorption of the protein part of the diet.

Antivitamins.

Antivitamins are compounds of various natures that have the ability to reduce or completely eliminate the specific effect of vitamins, regardless of the mechanism of action of these vitamins. Therefore, antivitamins do not include substances that increase or decrease the body’s need for vitamins (for example, carbohydrates in relation to thiamine).

In a relationship ascorbic acid (vitamin C) antivitamin factors are oxidative enzymes - ascorbate oxidase, polyphenol oxidase etc. Ascorbate oxidase, contained in vegetables, fruits and berries, has a particularly strong effect. It catalyzes the oxidation of ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid. In the human body, dehydroascorbic acid is capable of fully exhibiting the biological activity of the vitamin. Outside the body, it is characterized by a high degree of thermolability - it is completely destroyed in a neutral environment when heated for 10 minutes to 60 ° C, in an alkaline environment - at room temperature. Therefore, taking into account the activity of ascorbate oxidase has important when solving a number of technological issues related to the preservation of vitamins in food.

The content and activity of ascorbate oxidase in different foods is not the same. The largest amount was found in cucumbers and zucchini, the smallest in carrots, beets, tomatoes, black currants, etc. The decomposition of ascorbic acid under the influence of ascorbate oxidase and chlorophyll occurs most actively during the grinding of plant raw materials, when the integrity of the cell is disrupted, and favorable conditions for interaction arise enzyme and substrate. A mixture of raw crushed vegetables loses more than half of ascorbic acid during 6 hours of storage.

To oxidize half of the ascorbic acid, 15 minutes after preparing pumpkin juice is enough, 35 minutes in cabbage juice, 45 minutes in watercress juice, etc. Therefore, it is recommended to drink juices immediately after making them or consume vegetables, fruits and berries in their natural form , avoiding chopping them and preparing various salads.

The activity of ascorbate oxidase is suppressed by heating raw materials for 1-3 minutes at 100 °C, which must be taken into account in the technology and preparation of food products and culinary products.

Nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea can be signs of both poisoning and intestinal infection. These diseases differ from each other in etiology, some symptoms and treatment methods. This article discusses food infections and poisoning, the differences in their manifestations and treatment, and methods for making an accurate diagnosis.

Description and etiology

Food poisoning and intestinal infections primarily differ in etiology, that is, the cause of the development of the disease. Poisoning develops as a result of intoxication of the body with toxins that are formed in spoiled and rotten foods. Intestinal infections are caused by highly pathogenic microorganisms that can cause inflammation in the walls of the digestive tract and lead to intoxication syndrome.

Intestinal infections

For a disease of infectious origin the clinical picture is caused by the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the digestive tract. These can be viruses and bacteria.

Please note that intestinal infections are contagious; a person can become ill with them after household contact with a carrier of the pathogen.

The most common types of intestinal infections include:

• salmonellosis is a bacterial disease caused by bacteria. Infections can get into human body With meat products and eggs, a person can also become infected during household contact with a sick person;
• dysentery is a bacterial intestinal infection that is transmitted through contaminated water, dairy products, from a sick person to a healthy person;
• rotavirus infection, or " stomach flu", is a contagious viral disease transmitted by the fecal-oral route. It is a seasonal pathology. The peak of the disease comes in winter.

Please note that rotavirus infection is often confused with influenza and ARVI. With this disease, viral intoxication develops, the same as with a cold. The main difference between rotavirus infection is the appearance of diarrhea and vomiting.

With an intestinal infection, pathogenic microorganisms entering the intestines cause severe inflammation. These diseases are accompanied by a strong intoxication syndrome and are dangerous for people. They are especially difficult for young children, who are very sensitive to intoxication and dehydration.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning develops for a number of reasons, listed below:

• Eating low-quality and spoiled foods. This could be food that has expired or has been stored improperly. temperature conditions. In such products, opportunistic bacteria multiply, which in themselves are not dangerous to humans, and symptoms of poisoning develop from the toxins produced by them and from the products of their vital activity.
• Insufficient heat treatment of meat and fish.
• Failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic norms and rules. Dirty hands, unwashed dishes, poorly washed fruits and vegetables can lead to poisoning.
• Use poisonous plants or mushrooms.

Please note that food poisoning is not contagious. You can calmly communicate with a poisoned person without fear of becoming infected, but food that the sick person ate cannot be eaten.

Food poisoning and food infections have a lot in common and similar in its clinical picture and course of the disease. It is because of the similarity of symptoms that they are constantly confused with each other.

• Damage to the digestive tract. Toxins or bacteria, once in the gastric cavity, cause local inflammation of the mucous membrane and lead to gastroenteritis.
• Transmitted through food. In order to get sick, you need to eat something of poor quality or contaminated.
• Symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased gas formation and intestinal colic.
• Dehydration is a condition in which the body eliminates a large number of liquids. Poisoning or intestinal infection is accompanied by severe dehydration of the body(loss of water) due to vomiting and diarrhea.
• The course of diseases always follows a standard pattern: first, a certain incubation period during which there are no clinical manifestations of poisoning or intestinal infection. Then comes the height of the disease, which is replaced by a period of recovery.

Distinctive features

Distinctive features of poisoning and intestinal infections help the doctor to suspect a particular pathology. Some symptoms are very specific, indicating a specific pathology.

Talking about distinctive features, we must not forget that the course of the same disease in different people may differ and be individual. There are also atypical forms of intestinal infections and poisonings that occur with mild symptoms.

Please note that you can try to distinguish poisoning from an intestinal infection by the symptoms of the disease. The final diagnosis is made only on the basis of laboratory tests of the body.

The following are the distinctive features:

• The incubation period for food poisoning is shorter than for intestinal infection. When consuming low-quality, spoiled food, symptoms of poisoning develop during the first 6 hours. For intestinal infections, the incubation period can last several weeks..
• Localization of the greatest damage to the digestive tract. Thus, in case of poisoning, inflammation develops in the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum. In case of intestinal infection, the large or small intestine is affected.
• Intoxication syndrome is more pronounced with intestinal infection. The temperature can rise to 39 degrees. With food poisoning, body temperature does not rise above 37.5 degrees.
• Some intestinal infections differ in appearance and consistency feces. For example, with salmonellosis, the stool is loose, green and foamy. With dysentery, the stools are watery, streaks of blood can be seen in them; with cholera, the stool looks like rice water.

Principles of diagnosis and diagnosis

The attending physician first takes a history and examines the patient. He should indicate the time when the first symptoms appeared and list the foods you ate over the past 24 hours. You should also tell us what treatment measures you took on your own before seeking medical help, what concomitant diseases you suffer from, what pills you constantly take, what you are allergic to.

As we mentioned above, the final diagnosis can only be made on the basis of laboratory research methods. In case of poisoning or intestinal infection, diagnostics is aimed not only at making an accurate diagnosis, but also at assessing the state of the entire body and searching for possible complications.

The following are laboratory and instrumental examinations that may be prescribed in the event of food poisoning or intestinal infection:

1. A general blood test with a detailed leukocyte formula is a very informative study. With it you can:

• see the presence of a bacterial or intestinal infection;
• determine the severity of the inflammatory process in the body;
• roughly estimate the degree of dehydration (based on hematocrit);
• suspect helminthic infestation;
• detect anemia or hemolysis (can develop during poisoning poisonous mushrooms).

1. A general urine test is performed to identify abnormalities in kidney function. It is worth noting that acute inflammation of the kidney structures (pyelonephritis) can imitate poisoning. With its atypical course, diarrhea and abdominal pain may develop. At the same time, the level of leukocytes in the urine increases.
2. Bacteriological examination of stool can detect intestinal infection.
3. A biochemical blood test is necessary to diagnose abnormalities in the electrolyte balance, as well as to identify disorders of the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.
4. Ultrasonography internal organs carried out to assess the condition of the gallbladder, liver, pancreas and kidneys. It is these organs that are primarily affected by poisoning or intestinal infection. Identifying abnormalities in them helps the doctor prescribe the necessary treatment and prevent the progression of their damage.
5. Electrocardiography is performed in cases of severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. An ECG is necessary to detect rhythm abnormalities.

Differences in treatment

The main difference in the treatment of intestinal infection and food poisoning is the need for antibiotic therapy. With laboratory confirmation of the bacterial etiology of the disease, the doctor prescribes antibacterial drugs, which the patient should take strictly according to the schedule.

Please note that viral intestinal infections are treated in the same way as food poisoning. Antibiotics or antiviral drugs are not prescribed.

The remaining components of the treatment are almost the same. Diet, drinking plenty of fluids, antispasmodics, enzymes, antiemetics - all this helps the patient recover faster.

It is worth noting that in case of poisoning by poisonous mushrooms, the patient may need hemodialysis - purification of the blood from poisons using an artificial kidney apparatus.

Poisoning and intestinal infections have many similarities and differences. Only an experienced doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after examining, collecting an anamnesis and examining the patient. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor after identifying the cause of the disease. Antibiotics help with intestinal infections. You cannot prescribe them for yourself; you can take them only on the recommendation of a doctor.

Diseases arising from the consumption of food products infected with toxigenic microorganisms are called foodborne diseases. Contamination of food products with these microbes can occur through the hands of personnel in food production, trade and catering establishments, as well as through bacilli, bacteria and virus carriers working in these areas; through the air of production premises, through water that does not meet sanitary requirements, and ice obtained from it, which comes into contact with products during storage; through dirty containers. Fruits, vegetables and berries become contaminated when grown in soil fertilized with feces. Meat and milk can be contaminated with toxinogenic microflora if they are obtained from sick animals.

Based on the origin and symptoms of the disease, foodborne diseases are usually divided into several groups:

Foodborne infections- these include infectious diseases in which food products are only transmitters of toxigenic microbes; they do not multiply in them, but can remain viable and virulent for a long time.

For a disease to occur, it is enough to contain a small number of pathogen cells in the product, which, once in macroorganisms, actively multiply and cause a certain disease. The source of food contamination by foodborne pathogens are people and animals (patients and carriers of infections).

Food poisoning(intoxication) - pathogens, unlike pathogens of food infections, are able to live and actively reproduce on food. At the same time, food products, without noticeably changing their organoleptic properties, become toxic as a result of the accumulation of toxins in them.

Foodborne illnesses is a group of diseases that occupy an intermediate position between typical infections and food poisoning. They occur like intoxications, like acute gastrointestinal diseases, and at the same time they are contagious.

Diarrhea“travelers” - the occurrence of frequent loose stools due to a change in place of residence. People who travel to other countries and continents may experience diarrhea as a result of consuming local food and water containing different microflora.

2. Intestinal (dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A) and zoonoses (tuberculosis, foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis). a brief description of pathogens, their stability in the external environment, sources and routes of infection, features of prevention.

The greatest danger is posed by the so-called intestinal infections: cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, hepatitis A, dysentery. They are united by: the source is man; method of infection - through the mouth, routes of spread - infected food, water, dishes, etc.

Typhoid fever- severe infectious disease. The incubation period is 7-23 days. Pathogens are pathogenic only for humans. These are small, mobile, non-spore-forming rods that are facultative anaerobes. The optimal temperature for their development is about 37°C. They are sensitive to heat and die in a few seconds when boiled. These bacteria easily tolerate drying and low temperatures. The causative agents of the disease enter the body through the mouth, esophagus, are localized in the small intestine, and then enter the intestinal lymph nodes and other organs. When pathogen cells are destroyed, a potent toxin is released in the body. The disease is manifested by inflammation and ulceration of the small intestines, accompanied by acute diarrhea, feverish rise in temperature and general weakness.

Bacterial dysentery- the disease is caused by a number of biologically close bacteria, united in the genus Shigella. Dysentery bacteria are facultative anaerobes, the optimal growth temperature is 37°C, they are quite stable in the external environment: they survive on soil for several months, tolerating low temperatures well; They are stored for a long time in milk, cottage cheese, on unwashed vegetables and fruits, as well as in raw water. The source of dysentery is a sick person who excretes dysentery bacilli in their feces.

Dysentery begins acutely with a rise in temperature to 38-39°C; the patient is bothered by chills, headache, body aches, cutting pains in the lower abdomen occur, stool becomes rapid, liquid, with mucus, sometimes with blood. The act of defecation is accompanied by nagging pain (tenesmus).

The disease will spread through dirty hands, from where pathogens get on food products, through vegetables, fruits, water, raw dairy products and any prepared food through contamination during preparation or storage in unsanitary conditions.

Cholera- severe infectious disease. The causative agent is Vibrio - a mobile, non-spore-forming, gram-negative, comma-shaped rod. Vibrio cholerae is a facultative anaerobe; the optimal temperature for its growth is 25-37°C. At a temperature of 55°C it dies after 25-30 minutes, at a temperature of 80°C - after 5 minutes. Vibrio is resistant to low temperatures, but sensitive to the acidity of the environment. The incubation period ranges from several hours to several days.

Signs: sudden uncontrollable diarrhea and vomiting, severe dehydration, headache, weakness, dizziness, temperature drops to 35ºC, convulsions, possible death.

Viral hepatitis A(Botkin's disease) is one of the most common food infections. The causative agent is an RNA virus. The virus can withstand heating up to 60°C for almost 2 seconds and persists for a long time in the cold. The source of infection is a person (patient or virus carrier). Viral hepatitis A is contracted mainly through food and water. Flies can be carriers. The incubation period is 3-6 weeks. The virus infects the liver and circulates in the blood. Excreted in feces.

In the prevention of bacterial intestinal infections and hepatitis A, compliance by employees of trade and food enterprises with the rules of personal and industrial hygiene is of particular importance.

Foodborne infections transmitted to humans from an animal (sick or bacterial carrier) include brucellosis, tuberculosis, and foot-and-mouth disease. They are called zoonoses(zooanthroponoses).

Brucellosis- a disease that affects large and small livestock, pigs, rats and other animals. The causative agents are Brucella - small coccoid bacteria, nonmotile, gram-negative, do not form spores, aerobes. The extreme limits of growth are 6-45 0 C, optimum 37 ° C. When heated to 60-65°C they die in 20-30 minutes, when boiled in a few seconds.

Brucella is characterized by great stability and viability. In food products, butter, feta cheese, frozen meat, and cheese, they are preserved for several months.

People become infected through nutritional means - through milk and dairy products, as well as through contact with animals and cutting carcasses. The most dangerous pathogen for humans is brucellosis in sheep and goats. The incubation period is 1-3 weeks or more. The disease is severe, affecting the musculoskeletal system, liver, spleen, nervous and reproductive systems, and often takes a chronic form. Milk from infected farms is pasteurized at elevated temperatures (70 0 C) for 30 minutes; boil for 5 minutes or sterilize. The meat is subjected to long-term boiling in small pieces or sent for processing into canning production.

Tuberculosis caused by mycobacteria belonging to actinomycetes. The shape of the cells is variable: rods are straight, curved and branched. They are aerobic, immobile, do not form spores, but due to the high content of mycolic acid and lipids, they are resistant to acids, alkalis, alcohol, heat and drying. They can be stored in water and frozen meat for up to a year, in cheese for 2 months, in oil for up to 3 months. Mycobacteria are sensitive to sunlight, UV rays, high temperature: at 70 0 C they die after 10 minutes, at 100 ° C - after 10 s. There are several types of pathogens, three of which are dangerous to humans: human, bovine and avian.

Tuberculosis differs from other infections in its incubation period - from several weeks to several years - and in the duration of the disease.

foot and mouth disease- highly contagious disease of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs. The causative agent is a small, RNA-containing virus. The foot-and-mouth disease virus persists in oil for up to 25 days, in frozen meat for up to 145 days; sensitive to heat (withstands 70°C for 15 minutes, dies instantly at 100 0C). A person can become infected through milk, meat, as well as through contact with sick animals and care items. The incubation period is from 2 to 18 days. The virus enters the blood. The disease is accompanied by the appearance on the mucous membrane oral cavity blisters, which then burst and turn into painful ulcers.

Meat from animals sick or suspected of having foot-and-mouth disease is subjected to long-term boiling and used to prepare sausages and canned food. The milk is heat treated at 80°C for 30 minutes or boiled for 5 minutes and sold on the farm.

3. Salmonellosis, causes and preventive measures, culinary products that pose the greatest danger.

Salmonellosis is a disease caused by Salmonella microbes and is classified as a toxoinfection. Poisoning occurs as acute gastrointestinal diseases, the incubation period is short (several hours). The pathogens have the shape of rods with rounded ends, are mobile, do not form spores, and are facultative anaerobes. The optimal temperature for their growth is 37ºС; at temperatures below 5ºС they do not grow, and when boiled they die instantly. If there is more than 8% salt in products, their development slows down, and at 12-15% it stops.

Routes of infection: waterfowl eggs, poultry meat, cattle, waterfowl, rodents. The painful condition occurs under the influence of toxins released in the human intestines due to the death of a mass of pathogen cells that enter the body along with food products, and not as a result of the accumulation of toxins in goods. Patients experience vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, general weakness, frustration of cardio-vascular system, sharp pain in the abdomen. In severe cases, severe dehydration occurs due to incessant vomiting and diarrhea. The disease lasts from 1 to 6 days and usually ends with recovery.

Salmonellosis is very dangerous, and animal products are most at risk of contamination due to contact with animal feces.
The main products that can be contaminated with salmonellosis are eggs, tomatoes, hot peppers, green salad and papaya,
chips, crackers, soup, peanut butter, even frozen foods are at risk of salmonella contamination. In 2009, salmonellosis outbreaks were associated with peanut butter and products containing peanuts, raw meat, especially ground meat, and ground turkey.
Security measures: Wash food thoroughly and store it in the refrigerator at a temperature of no more than 5 degrees. Never eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. Store raw chicken separately from other foods. Wash hands, cutting boards, dishes, tables after handling, thoroughly wash food, cook meat thoroughly.

Very often, food poisoning of bacterial origin is confused with an intestinal infection. This is because the main signs in both cases are very similar. The patient complains of abdominal pain, vomiting and severe diarrhea. But there are certain symptoms by which an experienced doctor can tell the difference between a food infection and food poisoning.

Common symptoms of intestinal infection and food poisoning

It is important to understand that both of these diseases have many of the same symptoms. For a person far from medicine, it is almost impossible to make a correct diagnosis. Only a doctor, based on the results of a thorough examination and laboratory tests, can determine the type of poisoning and prescribe the correct treatment.

The similarities between food poisoning and intestinal infection are in the following points:

• in both cases, the organs of the digestive system are affected: stomach, intestines, pancreas;
• Both diseases occur cyclically. Experts distinguish three main periods: incubation, peak of the disease, and subsidence period;
• a single mechanism for the transmission of toxic substances - through unsuitable, contaminated food products;
• similar symptoms: severe vomiting, constant nausea, pain in the stomach, diarrhea;
• Both with an intestinal infection and with food poisoning, the body loses a lot of fluid.

It is worth remembering the main signs of dehydration: extreme thirst, general weakness, dry mucous membranes, rare urination, rapid pulse.

If the patient has at least a few of the above signs, this is a signal that a doctor needs to be visited as soon as possible. Toxins attack other internal organs and systems, headaches appear, pulse decreases, weakness and body aches are observed, blood pressure decreases or increases.

It would seem that food poisoning and infections are similar and there is no difference between them at all. But they are still distinguished by other symptoms.

Various causes of food poisoning and intestinal infections

You can become infected with rotavirus either from an already sick person or from a healthy carrier of the virus. Rotavirus actively multiplies inside the body and comes out along with feces and cough. A person may not even notice that he is a carrier of the virus. Until a certain time, the disease does not manifest itself in any way, except that the patient experiences a decrease in appetite and a slight one-time bowel disorder.

The cause of food poisoning is bacteria and their toxins that have massively colonized a certain food product. Insufficient or improper processing of such food leads to the active proliferation of bacteria and the person who consumes the contaminated product gets food poisoning.

Let's take a closer look at the difference between food poisoning and intestinal infection.

The main signs of intestinal infection

• Food (intestinal) infection or rotavirus is a disease of viral origin that combines all the signs of food poisoning and acute viral illness. Along with nausea and vomiting, the patient experiences a runny nose, cough and high fever.
• Rotavirus affects organs not only of the digestive system. Typically, a patient with a foodborne infection may experience watery eyes and redness of the eyes and throat.
• The color and smell of the discharge changes. Loose stool with an intestinal infection, after several days of illness it acquires a grayish tint; in especially severe cases, bloody streaks can be seen in the stool. Urine also changes its color and smell. It becomes dark, almost brown in color and acquires a pungent odor of ammonia.
• An intestinal infection causes severe gas incontinence, with a strong smell of rot.

• Vomiting and diarrhea due to rotavirus infection is accompanied by a very high (up to 40C) body temperature that is difficult to control.
• Intestinal infection (rotavirus) has a fairly long incubation period. Characteristic symptoms The disease may appear 10-14 days after infection.
• Duration of the disease at different types poisoning is also different. If the patient is hit by a food infection, then most likely it will be possible to completely get rid of the disease no earlier than in 7-10 days.
• It is important to remember: intestinal infection is a contagious disease. The virus can be transmitted from person to person by contact, fecal-oral route, or airborne transmission. It is very important to pay attention to the health of people around the patient. Unlike bacterial food poisoning, a food infection affects the body gradually, transmitted from one family member to another.

Intestinal infection occurs most often in the winter-spring period, when the body, weakened by cold and lack of vitamins, is most susceptible to various infections.

• Most often, children under 3 years of age are infected with rotavirus; their immunity is not able to resist the disease, and their treatment is carried out in a hospital.

Distinctive signs of food poisoning

• Food poisoning of bacterial origin can appear within a few hours after ingesting low-quality contaminated food. The incubation period is only 24 hours.
• With this type of poisoning, the stomach and small intestine are most affected. The patient experiences bloating and rumbling in the abdomen.

• Body temperature rises to its maximum in the first day after poisoning, after which the fever gradually subsides. The illness does not last long. After just two or three days we can talk about recovery.
• The cause of food poisoning is eating low-quality, spoiled foods. As a rule, this type of poisoning is characterized by mass occurrence. Anyone who eats contaminated food at the same time becomes infected.
• With food poisoning, diarrhea does not last longer than two days. The color of urine does not change.

First aid actions for poisoning

Regardless of how the infection or bacteria entered the body and caused poisoning, it is important to begin measures to destroy and remove them from the body as quickly as possible.

Actions of the first medical care are carried out in several directions:

• Removing toxins. To do this, the patient's stomach is washed. The victim is being watered down big amount potassium permanganate solution. It is necessary to drink until pieces of food and clots of mucus disappear from the vomit.
• Restoring the body's water-salt balance. With vomiting and diarrhea, not only toxins are removed from the body, but also the water balance of the body is disrupted. It is important to restore it as soon as possible. To do this, the patient is asked to drink the Regidron solution. You need to take the medicine in small portions every two hours.

• Pain relief, discomfort relief. It is important to remember that before the doctor arrives, you should not give the patient a large amount of painkillers. This is necessary so that the overall picture of the disease is not blurred. In some cases, with very severe pain, you can ask the patient to take no more than one painkiller tablet.
• Also, to relieve general discomfort, the patient can take several tablets of sorbent drugs.
• Restoration of microflora. To quickly restore the body after poisoning, the patient needs to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. For this purpose, doctors prescribe medications with a high content active substances, restoring the microflora of the stomach and intestines.

Food poisoning and food infections very often imitate each other, hiding behind the same symptoms. The patient is unlikely to be able to correctly identify the disease on his own.

Therefore, at the first signs of poisoning, it is important to get examined by a doctor as soon as possible, who will make the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.

About rotavirus infection in the video:

Finally

People don't always understand the difference between food poisoning and infection, especially when it comes to their children. And often time is lost, which leads to bad consequences; we are not even talking about the death of a person, but about complications that can affect the functioning of internal organs in the future. Therefore, if the initial symptoms do not go away and continue more than 3 times even after taking sorbents, you should immediately call an ambulance.