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Food poisoning: Montezuma's Revenge

By Megan Roth

As discussed yesterday, food poisoning strikes 76 million each year - and this is strictly limited to counts of food poisoning in the U.S. It fails to factor in the millions of tourists who are struck by food poisoning on their travels - the illness commonly known as "Montezuma's revenge." Also known as traveler's diarrhea, it is the body's natural response to bacterial or parasitic agents encountered in water sources and produce.

And while it generally strikes those who visit third-world or developing countries, it often occurs around the world for a number of reasons stemming from poor food hygiene; for elaboration's sake, I'll also let you in on the fact that the majority of food poisoning cases are related (in some way, shape or form) to the contaminated food having been exposed to feces.

Sounds disgusting and untrue, I know; but it's just one of the cold, hard facts. Now, I'm not intending to imply that the food is actually touched by the waste, but rather that it's indirectly exposed. Think about it: when you buy fruits and vegetables, you wash them before eating, right? And you do so as to rinse off any contaminants that may be present on the produce's surface.

Well, the majority of produce vendors and distributors don't wash before selling - it's an unnecessary step, considering most consumers (be them stores or individuals) will buy regardless.

So say you're vacationing in Mexico. The produce there is incredibly fresh, and you're bound to indulge. And why wouldn't you? You're on vacation! So you delve into the mass amounts of pineapple decorating your breakfast plate. Seems safe, considering it's being served in a top-notch resort and generally doesn't come in contact with the ground (at least, I like to think it doesn't). But say that pineapple was transported in a truck delivering a variety of product to the resort, including mango, avocado, and jicima.

As a consumer, I consider jicama a high-risk food (it's essentially a Latin American potato. Now, I'm from the Midwest and I've known numerous farmers who count potatoes as a crop. Many times, those same farmers have pastures/fields where they house cows located in close proximity to those potato fields. Need I mention the likelihood that a light rain can wash cow-pies from pasture to field?

But, regardless of the fact that jicima is grown in essentially the same manner as potatoes, it won't affect my pineapple, right? Because they're shipped shipped in separate bins and won't touch; heck, even if they did touch, I don't eat the outside of the pineapple (which is incredibly thick), so there's no chance of contamination, right?

But it does matter, because, even if distributers are able to keep the crops from touching during distribution, the odds of contact are still likely.

Regardless of the my concientious effort to wash and scrub each root vegetable ferociously, not all indicvciduals do the same. If a resort employee unpacks the crate of jicama and then immediately begins slicing the pineapple (without changing their gloves or washing their hands), the pineapple has been indirectly exposed to whatever fecal matter may have been present on the jicama.

Such exposure is common and is just one causes of traveler's diarrhea (aka food poisoning). Other causes? Consumption of tap water (and don't be fooled; just because you don't drink the water doesn't mean you won't consume it. "Would you like ice in your Coke?" Answer: "NO!")

Or, say you're on a trip to the Carribean, where you're likely to indulge in mass amounts of fresh fish. I say go for it, just be leery of scombroid poisoning, a type of food poisoning that occurs when one eats fish that has been allowed to get too warm after it's caught. Though it's not commonly heard of, it occurs much more often than fisherman like to let on.

And they have good reason to cover their tracks. As I've mentioned (several times), food poisoning is dangerous. Though it's effects may vary, they are incredibly alarming and can be a major factor in vacationer's choosing not only where they'll go for their trip, but also where they'll go once they get there.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on November 04, 2008 (boomark / email).