It is an acute gastroenteritis caused by ingestion of food or drink which contained either living bacteria or their toxins or inorganic chemical substances or poison derived from plant or animal.
It can be either
A. Bacterial.
B. Non bacterial; or chemical.
Bacterial include –
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Pathogen
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Source
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Clinical features
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Investigation
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Recovery
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Staphylococcus aureus
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Contaminated food or other eatables
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Incubation period 2-6 hours. Diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration are symptoms
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Culture the organisms in vomitus or stool
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Rapid within few hours
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Bacillus cereus
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Spores in food(often rice) resistant to boiling
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Incubation period is 1-6 hours. Diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration occur
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Culture the organism in stool and food
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Rapid
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Clostridium perfringens
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Spores in food survive even in boiling
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Incubation period is 8-20 hours. Watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps occur (toxin-induced enteritis)
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Culture the organism in faeces and food
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2-3 days
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Clostridium botulinum
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Canned or bottled food.
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Incubation period is long (24-36). Brief Diarrhoea and gut paralysis due to neuromuscular block by neurotoxin.
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Demonstration of toxin in food and stool
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10-14 days
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Salmonella enteritidis (phage type 4), S.typhimurium
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Bowel of animals
Contaminated food and water
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Incubation period is 12-24 hours. Fever vomiting and diarrhea ( + blood occur)
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Culture the organism in stool
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Usually 2-5 days but may take 2 weeks
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Campylobacter jejuni
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Bowel of animals especially fowls; and cattle (zoonotic infection).
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Incubation period is longest (1-3 days). Fever,pain abdomen and diarrhea with or without blood occur.
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Culture the organism in stool
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3-5 days
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Prevention and control
A. Food sanitation
1. Health education
2. Personal hygiene
3. Food handlers
4. Pasteurization of milk
B. Protection of food
Management
1. Fluid & electrolyte balance should be maintained. Vitals including pulse, B.P, respiration & temperature along with urine output should be monitored.
2. Antibiotics – In acute situation ciprofloxacin plus metranidazole is used to cover most causative organisms till stool culture report is obtained.
3. Recently it is thought that auticholinergic & autimotility drugs have no role.