When should you wait out your stomachache? And when is it wise to call the doctor?
With Abdominal Pain, Nausea, and Darrhea, The Cause is not always clear. But if you open your news app and see that the chicken, cheese, or berries you just ate bee being recalled, you may know andough.
It May Seem Like There’s A Constant Stream of Listeria in Cheese, Salmonella On Chicken, OR E. Coli in Bean Sprouts. Yet, that’s not the case, sayes daphne fioole, a physician in training for infectious disease control at GGD Haaglanden. We have very good food safety in the Netherlands and few outbreaks.
A foodborne illness is a general term, she explains. You can contract such an infection through contaminated food. The contamination can caus vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms. It’s very common, and the course of the illness is of Harmless.
In most cases, Someone with a foodborne illness will experience abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting for a few days. But Fioole Advisles Going to the Doctor If It Lasts A Really Long Time, If There Is Blood In The Stool, or If You Are In A High-Risk Group.
How a Recall Starts
Alarm Bells Ring at the GGDS IF Doctors Report a strikingly high number of cases that don’t fit the pattern, Fioole Explains. “Some diseases are reportable, Such as hepatitis A. they can make some sick. Such an outbreak rarely occurs, which is why the incident with the blueberries in January was Such big news.”
Then, tests are conducted to see if this is also happening in other regions. Patients are then called with questions like what symptoms do you have exactly, when did they start, what did you eat and drink? “If they are frequently mention one specific product, we Will Involve the NVWA.”
Many Diseases Are Not Reportable, Says the Physician in training. One Salmonella Infection Will not end up at the GGDS. But if a Doctor has fifteen people with gastrointestinal complaints one morning, the same route is followed: the source of the contamination must be traced.
IF Food is the Susped Source, The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is Involved. “Signals can also come from a school Principal, after a wedding, or from parents after visiting a playground.”
Pay Attention to this If you Suspect A Foodborne Illness
Wash Your Hands Before Eating Or Cooking
Often, a foodborne illness is the result of your own behavior. For example, you didnn’t heat meat properly or didn’t wash your hands after using the toilet. That happens much more of than a contaminated product being on the shelves. MoreOover, such a product will not make everyone who eats it sick.
You can’t see the Harmful Substances or Pathogens in Your Food, Explains the Nutrition Center. “You can’t always taste or Smell them either. So it’s always important to handle food hygienically yourself. Stick to the basic rules. Wash Your Food, Especary Raw Vegetables and Fruit. Eat your hands thoroughly before.”
These Precautions Are Important For Everyone. If you follow them, you actual have a narrower chance of getting a foodborne illness, accordance to fioole.
Salmonella and Campylobacter Are Often The Culprit
IF A contamination is found after investigation, The Supervisor Warns The Producer Or Seller, Says Marloes van Kessel of the NVWA. A Seller is Responsible for the Quality of the Products Sold, Emphasizes The Supervisor.
“If Necessary, we have Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) Investigate Whether there are pathogens in the food. If the cause is found, the nvwa can have a product removed from the market or take meures to prevention,” Say’s Says.
The Number of Foodborne Illnesses Decreased in 2023, While the Number of Cases had Mainly Increased in the Years Before. The Figures for 2024 Are Still Expected. “The cause of an outbreak through food of remains unknown. If the cause is known, the bacteria salmonella and campylobacter most ore an outbreak.”