Image via Wikipedia It has been the news these past few days about Skippy Peanut butter recall involving some batches of their peanut butter products.The reason was that these products have been contaminated with salmonella and E. coli.Salmonella is a bacteria found in humans and animals.It is responsible for typhoid fever,paratyphoid fever and food poisoning.The route of infection is fecal -oral route.Meaning one can be infected by the organism by eating food or drinking water that are contaminated by the bacteria.The bacteria can survive outside its host for weeks in dry environment.Longer in water which could be months.Food such as meat and eggs could harbor the micro organism.The microorganism can be killed by heat of 55 degrees centigrade for 1 hour.It can not be killed by freezing but ultraviolet radiation can effectively kill them.
The gastric acidity usually destroys most micro organism man ingests.But large amount could cause infection after an incubation period like in salmonella food poisoning.Incubation period for salmonella could be from 12 hours to 72 hours.The elderly,children and those whose immune system is compromised are easily affected.Sickle Cell Anemia patients when infected with salmonella could develop osteomyelitis.Dehydration brought about by the diarrhea could have serious consequences and should be avoided.Bring the patient to the hospital for proper management.
Symptoms of infection :
-diarrhea with mucopurulent,bloody stool
-fever
-abdominal cramps
-vomiting
Some ways to avoid infection
1. Cook meat thoroughly.
2. Sanitary practices such as building and use of comfort rooms to dispose of human waste properly.
3. Proper hand washing after using the toilet and handling pets.
4. Wash fruits and vegetable properly before eating.
5. Heat cooked food for at least 10 minutes at 75 degrees centigrade
6. Don't use stagnant water which could have been contaminated by the bacteria.
7. Separate containers for cooked and raw food to avoid contamination.
8. Boil drinking water of questionable source
9. Wash eggs before using to remove chicken feces from its shell.
10. Avoid eating raw egg.
11. To defrost frozen food, put food in the ref over night or use the defrost setting in the microwave for
faster defrosting time.
12. Cook food in temperatures ranging from 68 to 72 degrees centigrade.
13 .Observe sanitary food preparations like when making your vegetable salad.
