Cheese poisoning
Cheese is a very healthy product. It is rich in easily digestible milk protein, contains vitamins, trace elements and biologically active substances. Soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk have become very popular. On the one hand, such cheeses are the most useful, and on the other hand, they are the ones that pose the greatest danger of foodborne disease.
Source: depositphotos.com
How does cheese poisoning happen?
Cheese does not contain toxic substances; only pathogenic microorganisms that enter the dairy product at any stage of its production, transportation or storage can cause poisoning.
Cattle are often sick with brucellosis and listeriosis. If unpasteurized milk from sick animals is used to prepare cheese, then there is a possibility of infection with these infections and people.
Cheese can also be contaminated with various types of pathogenic bacteria, most often Escherichia coli or Salmonella. This happens when the sanitary and hygienic requirements of production and storage conditions are violated. When such a product is eaten, food poisoning develops (food toxicoinfection).
Poisoning symptoms
Symptoms of food poisoning in case of cheese poisoning occur within a few hours after eating it. First, the patient notes heaviness in the epigastric region, a slight rumbling in the abdomen. Then there is nausea and vomiting, and a little later, diarrhea joins.
In case of cheese poisoning, cramping pains in the abdomen are often observed, which subside somewhat after a bowel movement. An increase in body temperature is often noted.
With diarrhea and vomiting, the body loses significant amounts of fluids and trace elements, which leads to symptoms of dehydration. These include:
- decreased skin turgor;
- dry skin and mucous membranes;
- dark urine;
- decreased urine output;
- increased thirst;
- tachycardia;
- lowering blood pressure.
A completely different clinical picture is observed with infection with brucellosis or listeriosis.
The incubation period for brucellosis lasts about two weeks. The first symptoms of the disease are:
- increased body temperature;
- severe general weakness;
- excessive sweating;
- "Flying" joint pain.
Given that these symptoms are very similar to SARS, patients usually do not associate them with cheese poisoning. In most cases, by the time the first signs of brucellosis appear, they already forget about the very fact of eating cheese a few weeks ago.
The incubation period for listeriosis lasts up to four weeks. The clinical picture of the disease initially resembles a common foodborne disease. However, his symptoms persist for more than a week, and in addition, signs of damage to the articular apparatus appear.
Source: depositphotos.com
First aid for poisoning
The need for first aid in case of cheese poisoning usually arises with a disease of the type of food poisoning. Help should include a number of measures aimed at the earliest possible elimination of spoiled food and toxins from the patient's body, and restoration of water and electrolyte balance.
- Gastric lavage. It is advisable to carry out this procedure only in cases where the symptoms of cheese poisoning have developed within a few hours from the moment of eating it. That is, while the food product contaminated with pathogenic microbes is in the stomach. The patient should drink several glasses of warm water, and then induce vomiting, irritating the root of the tongue. This procedure is repeated several times to completely cleanse it of spoiled food, pathogenic bacteria and their toxins.
- The use of sorbents. If microbes and their toxins have managed to penetrate into the small intestine, then it is no longer possible to remove them by washing the stomach. To inactivate them, one should take medications with a sorbing effect, that is, those capable of absorbing toxins and holding them until excreted. Most often, Polysorb, Activated carbon, Smecta or Filtrum STI are used for this purpose.
- Fight against general intoxication and dehydration. Poisonous waste products of pathogenic microbes are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract, spread throughout the body and cause general intoxication. To combat it, as well as dehydration, the patient must drink plenty of fluids. This can be weak tea, still mineral water, or rehydration salt solution. It is better to drink often and in small sips - this way the liquid is better absorbed without causing increased nausea or vomiting.
Due to the fact that in case of a disease with brucellosis or listeriosis, a long period of time passes from the moment of eating low-quality cheese until the first symptoms appear, these first aid measures are ineffective. For fever or severe joint pain, an antipyretic and pain reliever such as Paracetamol may be given.
When is medical attention required?
Usually, with food poisoning as a result of cheese poisoning, patients do not seek medical help. But in the following situations, you cannot do without qualified medical care:
- symptoms of poisoning are observed in a child or a pregnant woman;
- signs of dehydration are rapidly increasing;
- abdominal pains are excessively pronounced and do not decrease after a bowel movement;
- the patient's condition does not improve within two days;
- feces contain an admixture of blood.
With brucellosis and listeriosis, it is impossible to do without medical help! When the first symptoms appear, you should immediately consult an infectious disease doctor and undergo the necessary laboratory examination, and then treatment.
Drug treatment of cheese poisoning is carried out by an infectious disease specialist. It includes detoxification therapy, as well as pathogenetic therapy based on the use of antibacterial drugs, taking into account the causative agent of the disease.
Possible consequences
Food toxicoinfections in case of cheese poisoning disappear within a few days, without leaving behind any negative consequences. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for listeriosis and brucellosis.
Listeriosis is especially dangerous for children in the first year of life, as it is often complicated by the development of meningitis or infectious toxic shock. This disease is fraught with risk for pregnant women, as its pathogen is able to penetrate the uteroplacental barrier and cause fetal development disorders.
Late initiation of treatment for brucellosis contributes to the transition of the disease into a chronic form, in which the musculoskeletal system suffers to a large extent.
Prevention
To prevent the risk of cheese poisoning, you should buy only the product of trusted companies and in large stores. In this case, you need to pay special attention to the production date and expiration date.
Store cheese in the refrigerator away from raw products that require mandatory heat treatment (meat, fish, poultry).
YouTube video related to the article:
Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author
Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.
Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.
The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
