Reference information. Food poisonings is an acute, rarely seen chronic disease caused by consumption of food containing great amounts of microbes and toxic substances either of

Term descriptions

FOOD POISONINGS is an acute, rarely seen chronic disease caused by consumption of food containing great amounts of microbes and toxic substances either of microbial or non-microbial origin.

TOXICOINFECTION is an acute, quite often mass disease caused by consumption of food containing great amounts of live causative agents.

BACTERIAL TOXICOSIS is an acute disease caused by consumption of food containing toxins accumulated in the living organism as a result of the development of specific agents. The agents can be either revealed in small amounts or not revealed at all.

ALIMENTARY MYCOTOXICOSIS is a chronic disease caused by consumption of foods such as processed beans and corns, containing toxic metabolites produced by some specific forms of microscopic fungi.

General clinical manifestations of food poisoning:

- short latent period;

- acute onset of the disease;

- short period of the development of the disease characterised by the symptoms of general intoxication and gastrointestinal disturbances;

- if the infected foods are eaten by a group of people, there may be cases of

mass food poisoning;

Food poisoning is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one;

Acute episodes are relieved right after the agent of the disease is eliminated.

Classification of food poisoning

1. Microbial food poisonings.

1.1.Toxicoinfection

1.2.Toxicosis: - mycotoxicosis;

- bacteriotoxicosis

1.3. Microbial food poisonings of mixed origin

2. Non-microbial food poisoning

2.1. Poisoning caused by essentially poisonous food: - food of animal origin;

- food of plant origin

2.2. Poisoning caused by the food which became poisonous under certain circumstances: - food of animal origin;

- food of plant origin.

2.3. Poisoning caused by chemical substances: - food additives;

- salts of heavy metals;

- substances penetrating from package, containers;

- pesticides.

3. Food poisoning of unknown origin.

The incidence of microbial food poisoning is the highest among all food poisoning cases.

Measures taken by the doctor in case of a food poisoning:

1. The doctor should make a diagnosis.

2. The doctor should give first aid.

3. Medical analyses of blood count, feces analysis, emetic masses and lavage water analysis are required.

4. The doctor should collect samples of foods for lab tests.

5. The sale of contaminated foods should be stopped.

6. The doctor should fill in the admission form and inform the Centre for Sanitary & Epidemiological Control about the case.