26. Characteristics, types, occurrence and prevention of enteric infections
Gastrointestinal infections
- Caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths
- Symptoms can be caused by the organisms themselves or by toxins they produce
- If small intestine is affected:
- Watery diarrhoea
- Abdominal cramps
- Vomiting
- If large intestine is affected
- Bloody diarrhoea
- Lower abdominal pain
- Fever
- Infection acquired from contaminated food or drinking water, or from person-to-person as a result of poor hygiene
Diarrhoeal disease
- Epidemiology
- Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five
- Kills 500 000 children yearly
- Very common in developing countries
- Causes
- Non-inflammatory diarrhoea
- Norovirus
- Rotavirus
- Food intoxication
- S. aureus
- B. cereus
- C. perfringens
- Foodborne infection
- ETEC
- Vibrio cholerae
- Protozoal
- Giardia lamblia
- Cryptosporidum
- Inflammatory diarrhoea
- EHEC
- EIEC
- Clostridium difficile
- Shigella
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter
- Yersinia enterocolitica
- Entamoeba histolytica
- Non-inflammatory diarrhoea
- Prevention
- Exclusive breastfeeding
- Vaccines
- Clean water
- Correct food handling
- Hygiene
- Treatment:
- Clean water
- Salt
- Sugar
- Zinc tablets
- Risk factors
- Children
- Elderly
- Pregnant
- Malnutrition
- Immunosuppression
- Working with infected people
- Socioeconomic risk factors
- Poverty
- Overcrowding
- Poor sanitation
- Water contamination
- Poor food hygiene
Types of foodborne illness
- Intoxication
- Ingestion of a toxin which causes the illness
- S. aureus
- B. cereus
- Toxico-infection
- Ingestion of a microorganism which produces toxin in the human body
- The toxin causes the illness
- Clostridium perfringens
- Clostridium botulinum
- Infection
- Ingestion of a microorganism which itself causes illness
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Hepatitis A
- Enteric parasites
- Trichinella
- Taenia
Prevention of foodborne illness
- Most foodborne illness is caused by food being improperly prepared or handled at home
- Sick people should not handle food
- Vegetables and fruits should be rinsed under water
- Five keys to safer foods
- Keep hands, surfaces and equipment clean. Wash hands before handling food
- Separate raw and cooked foods – don’t use same equipment for both
- Cook thoroughly – especially meat, eggs and seafood
- Keep food at safe temperatures
- Don’t leave cooked food in room temperature for more than 2 hours
- Refrigerate cooked food as soon as possible
- Do not store food too long
- Do not thaw frozen food at room temperature, rather in the fridge
- Use safe water and raw materials