Imagine going to a nice restaurant and enjoying a meal with family and friends. But, after you get home, you start to feel ill. You have stomach pain, diarrhea, and feel nauseous. Unfortunately, your symptoms worsen, so you go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room.
The Urgent Care or the Emergency Room runs tests, and the results show that you suffer from food poisoning, which means that you swallowed a germ or bacteria, such as Salmonella or E. Coli.
This article only discusses Salmonella poisoning and E. coli infections. Please note that there are other types of food poisoning, including Listeria, Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Giardia, and Toxoplasma, which are not discussed here.
Salmonella Poisoning
What is Salmonella poisoning? Illnesses from Salmonella poisoning, called salmonellosis, was first discovered around 1885. Salmonellosis can only be diagnosed with a laboratory test.
The common causes of a Salmonella infection include:
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that annually, there are about 1.35 million cases of salmonellosis, with 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the U.S.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning can start within six (6) hours to six (6) days after exposure and can last four (4) to seven (7) days.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection can include:
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Treatment
According to the CDC, some cases of Salmonella infection can be treated without antibiotics, and symptoms may clear up within four (4) to seven (7) days. In such cases, extra fluid is recommended due to dehydration.
However, the CDC recommends antibiotics for the following patients:
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Unfortunately, Salmonella infection can sometimes cause long-term complications, including joint pain called reactive arthritis.
E. coli (Escherichia coli)
E. coli is a bacteria found in everyday environments, food, water, and the intestines of people and animals. According to the CDC, most E. coli are harmless and, in fact, help us with digestion, production of vitamins, and protection against other germs.
However, not all E. coli are created the same, and some E. coli can make us sick, and infection from some can, unfortunately, lead to serious health conditions, including kidney failure, permanent health problems, and even death.
Symptoms
Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can include:
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Certain members of the population are more prone to increased risk of E. coli infection, including:
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Prevention
E. coli infection can be prevented by following some simple steps, including:
1. Wash
(a) Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. This should be done before, during and after you prepare food and before you start eating. Needless to say, always wash your hands after handling uncooked meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs.
(b) After preparing food, wash all utensils, cutting boards, and your countertops with hot, soapy water.
(c) Always rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.
2. Never drink unsafe water
3. Never cross-contaminate
(a) Never cross-contaminate food because germs and bacteria from raw meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread to ready-to-eat food.
(b) Never cross-contaminate when shopping for groceries, and also keep them separated in sealed containers in the refrigerator. Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices away from other foods.
(c) Never use a wood cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Do not use the cutting board, which has been used for raw meat, poultry, and seafood, for other types of food, such as bread.
(d) When cooking raw chicken, there is no need to wash it first. If you wash raw chicken, the splash from the water can spread germs around to countertops, sinks, and other foods nearby.
4. Cook to the right temperature.
Food should be cooked at a high enough internal temperature to kill germs and bacteria. The best and only way to make sure that your food has reached the appropriate cooking temperature is to use a food thermometer. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture), cooked food should reach the following internal temperatures.
(a) Beef, veal, lamb, and pork need to read 145°F on the food thermometer, before allowing them to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating.
(b) Fish with fins and shellfish need to reach 145°F or cook until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
(c) All poultry, including chicken and turkey, must reach 165°F in internal temperature. The same goes for ground chicken and ground turkey.
(d) Ground meats, i.e. ground beef and pork must reach 160°F in internal temperature.
(e) Eggs must reach 160°F.
(f) Leftovers and casseroles must reach 165°F in internal temperature.
5. Chill: refrigerate promptly.
(a) Because bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F, refrigerate perishable foods (meat, seafood, dairy, cut fruit, some vegetables, and cooked leftovers) within 2 hours (or 1 hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F).
(b) Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and your freezer at 0°F or below.
(c) When thawing frozen food, do so safely in the refrigerator in cold water or in the microwave. Do not thaw frozen food by leaving it on the counter because bacteria multiply quickly in the parts of the food that reach room temperature.
What to do if you believe you have food poisoning.
If you are suffering from the symptoms described above, and believe you have food poisoning, seek immediate help at Urgent Care or the Emergency Room and report ALL of your symptoms.
If tests from Urgent Care or the Emergency Room reveal the presence of Salmonella or E. coli in your system, then contact the establishment and report the incident. Additionally, report the incident to the Health Department to make sure that steps are taken to prevent others from getting sick.
Also, keep a journal to document your symptoms and how those symptoms affect your daily life activities. This would be the basis for your pain and suffering, if you decided to take legal action. Remember that “Documentation is Crucial”.
Your legal rights
If you choose to take legal action, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discover your rights. Generally, you have the right to recover your medical bills, lost income from work, and for pain and suffering.
Our firm is The Mason Law Firm and it is managed by Mason Rashtian, who has been litigating personal injury cases for over 27 years. He began his career as an insurance defense attorney and is now a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney and helps those who have been harmed by the carelessness (negligence) of others.
We handle all personal injury matters, including food poisoning, Salmonella poisoning infection, and E. coli poisoning infection. We handle these matters throughout California, including Los Angles, Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Antelope Valley.
If you are injured as a result of someone else’s carelessness (negligence), please feel free to contact us for a free consultation. We work on contingency and there is never any out-of-pocket fees or expenses for our clients. You can reach us at 661-270-5677, or by simply filling out our contact page by clicking here.
This article is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice.