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Give Thanks and Stay Safe

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As families gather together to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, The California Poison Control System (CPCS) provides tips so that holiday gatherings do not include a trip to the emergency room with a food-related illness. The CPCS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer any questions at (800) 222-1222 or www.calpoison.org.

According to the California Department of Health Services, close to 27,000 cases of food poisoning are reported each year but because many more cases are not reported, the actual number may be dramatically higher. The CPCS system provides the following information about food poisoning:

    --  Over 55% of food poisoning cases are caused by improper cooking and
        storage of foods
    --  Another 24% of cases are caused by not washing hands before handling
        food
    --  Only 3% of food poisoning cases are from an unsafe food source

Eating food contaminated with bacteria or viruses can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Vomiting and diarrhea are the body's way of eliminating the bacteria, virus or toxin. Although an unpleasant experience, most common cases of food poisoning run their course without needing medical attention.

"Food poisoning can be difficult to diagnose because of the many different organisms that cause it," said Dr. Cyrus Rangan, Assistant Medical Director and Director of the Los Angeles Medical Toxicology Education Program, California Poison Control System. "In addition, symptoms do not always appear soon after ingesting contaminated food and in some cases can take as long as several days to happen."

The most common forms of food poisoning are caused by viruses such as the rotaviruses, noroviruses (Norwalk) and others; and by bacterial contamination such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. These illnesses do not usually require hospital treatment, unless they lead to dehydration from vomiting and/or diarrhea. Less common but more serious food poisonings include:

    --  Botulism -- Although very rare, this type of poisoning usually results
        from eating processed low-acid food such as green beans or olives that
        have not been canned properly.  To avoid botulism, be careful not to eat
        food from cans that have leaky seals or cans that are bent, bulging or
        broken, and follow safety instructions when canning at home. (See the
        websites below for more information.)
    --  Infant Botulism -- Infants between the ages of two and four months are
        at the highest risk of this type of food poisoning.  Infant Botulism has
        been linked to very young children eating honey.  Symptoms include
        muscle weakness, a weak cry, constipation, increased heart rate and a
        decreased gag reflex.  As a result, honey should not be given to babies
        under six months.
    --  E. coli 0157: H7 -- Undercooked, contaminated ground beef causes most
        cases of this type of food poisoning although the bacteria can also
        contaminate raw milk or unpasteurized apple cider.  Swimming in or
        drinking water that has been polluted with sewage can also cause
        disease.  Typical symptoms occur one to seven days after eating and are
        usually watery diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. Usually little or no
        fever is seen.  To prevent this type of food poisoning, cook ground beef
        thoroughly and only eat pasteurized products.
    --  Campylobacter Food Poisoning -- This is the leading cause of food
        poisoning in the US and is a result of eating undercooked chicken or
        food that has touched raw chicken.  It is estimated that 70 - 90 % of
        chickens are infected with campylobacter.  The symptoms of these
        bacteria include abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and fever and usually
        last one week.
    --  Salmonella -- This is an important cause of serious intestinal infection
        than can occur after eating undercooked eggs or chicken. Symptoms are
        similar to Campylobacter and include bloody diarrhea and fever.
    --  Shigella -- Another cause of bloody diarrhea and fever, caused by a
        bacteria that can be passed from person to person by poor sanitation
        (like not washing hands properly) or not cooking food enough.

The easiest way to prevent all of these types of food-related illnesses is to wash hands before, during and after preparing food. Use soap and warm water and wash for at least 20 seconds. Good sources for more information are http://www.foodsafety.gov/, http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety

http://foodsafety.nal.usda.gov.

For more information about food poisoning or other food safety, consumers can call the CPCS at 1-800-222-1222 for advice. Pharmacists, Nurses, Physician-Toxicologists and Poison Information Providers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help. In most cases a poison exposure can be safely managed at home with the help of a CPCS expert, avoiding a call to 911 or a visit to a crowded hospital emergency room.

The CPCS has four divisions located at UC Davis Medical Center inSacramento, San Francisco General Hospital inSan Francisco, Children's Hospital Central California inFresno/Madera and the UC San Diego Medical Center inSan Diego. The CPCS is part of the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and operates under a contact and designation by theCalifornia Emergency Medical Services Authority.

SOURCE California Poison Control System