Food and Water Contamination
什么是Food and Water Contamination？
Food-borne and water-borne contamination (often called food poisoning) generally refers to food or waterborne diseases and infections that are the result of consuming contaminated food or water. A large number of bacteria, viruses, chemicals and toxins can contaminate food, food products and water resulting in mild to serious illness.
如何获得Food and Water Contamination？
Consuming food or water that is contaminated with infectious germs, chemicals, or toxins causes food poisoning. Bacteria cause approximately 80 percent of food poisoning cases. Noroviruses are among the most common viruses that cause food poisoning. One of the most frequent sources of food poisoning is food purchased from street vendors.
易感性和抗性
All persons are susceptible to food or water borne contamination, although persons who are repeatedly exposed to certain germs may develop some tolerance. If the cause is an infectious germ, people may still be infectious and spread the illness to others even after their illness has subsided.
症状是什么？
Symptoms are highly variable and can range from very mild discomfort to serious life-threatening illness depending on the type of contamination in the food. Frequent and common symptoms include the rapid onset of fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, with or without mild to severe fever. Symptoms may be resolved after about 24 hours, or may be longer lasting and severe. Episodes of illness may repeat over a period of time. Some food-borne toxins, e.g., botulism, result in life-threatening paralysis and require aggressive treatment.
Sometimes the cause of the symptoms is suggested by the incubation time between consuming the contaminated food or water and the onset of symptoms. For some common causes of food poisoning, the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 19th edition, 2008, includes the following information on the range of incubation periods:
- for staphylococcal bacterial infection: 30 minutes to 8 hrs (usually 2-4 hrs)
- for Bacillus cereus bacterial infection: 30 minutes to 24 hrs
- for Clostridium perfringens bacterial infection: 6-24 hrs (usually 10-12 hrs)
- for shellfish poisoning: within 12 hours for 4 types of shellfish poisoning
- for scombroid fish poisoning: - a few hours (resolving spontaneously within 12 hours)
- for ciguatera (fish) poisoning: - within 24 hrs
- for puffer fish poisoning, which has a 60 percent fatality rate: - a few hours
预防措施
防止食物或水污染取决于食物制备中的清洁度，生熟食物的分离，彻底烹饪，在适当温度下存储熟食以及使用安全的水和生食成分。个人防护措施包括：-仅光顾信誉良好和有执照的餐厅；避免非法贩卖小贩和街头小贩-仅食用彻底煮熟的食物-避免食用生海鲜；在自助餐时选择冷菜，包括生鱼片，寿司和生牡蛎时要小心-只能喝白开水或瓶装水，除非您可以确保适当地处理水源以消除污染物。如果饮用瓶装水，请务必在饮用前确保瓶盖和密封垫完好无损。 -进食前和如厕后务必洗手。
处理
Treatment depends on the type of contamination and may include pain relief, antibiotics, rehydration (orally or intravenously), use of special anti-toxins, or even artificial respiration in the event of respiratory failure. If the condition persists, identification of the causative agent may be required in order to prescribe a definitive treatment. Serious illness or persistent, severe, or bloody diarrhoea, however, should be investigated at once to determine the cause and the specific treatment required.
药物
它常见于哪里？
食品或水污染（肠胃炎）是发达国家和发展中国家在世界任何地方常见的疾病。高风险目的地包括拉丁美洲、非洲、中东和亚洲的一些发展中国家。
