Food poisoning on Bali holidays is mostly caused by seafood culinary.
Could it be really happened at once during our happy times? The answer is yes, especially if you are allergic to some sort of food and allergic to seafood might be the number one case.
Generally, eating fully cooked food that is served hot helps you avoid food borne disease, sometimes called food poisoning. However, there are a few types of food borne diseases you can get from fish or other seafood that cannot be prevented by cooking.
Food poisoning (also known as food-borne illness) occurs when you eat or drink something that contains harmful germs (bacteria, viruses, or parasites). Bacteria produce a toxin in food. It’s this toxin that causes the problem.
Symptoms of food poisoning can begin hours or days after consuming contaminated food or drink. The timing depends in part on the cause of the food poisoning. It can also depend on the amount of food or drink you consumed. Symptoms may include:
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
- fever
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- vomiting
- weakness and fatigue
Food poisoning may affect just one person or a whole group of people who are exposed to the contaminated food or drink. It depends on how much of the germ or toxin each person consumed. It also depends on how sensitive they are to the germ or toxin.
What are the symptoms of food poisoning from fish?
There are two types of food poisoning you can get from eating fish. They are ciguatera poisoning and scombroid poisoning.
Ciguatera poisoning symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms can progress to headache, muscle aches, and itchy, tingly, or numbness of the skin. One early sign can be numbness of the lips, tongue, or area around the mouth. You may have a metallic taste or feel like your teeth are loose. You may notice a change in your ability to feel hot or cold temperatures. You may think something feels hot when it is actually cold.
Scombroid poisoning symptoms develop 20 to 30 minutes after you eat the affected fish. They include flushing (turning red) of the face, nausea, vomiting, hives, and abdominal pain. These symptoms are similar to other allergic reactions. Getting scombroid poisoning does not mean you are allergic to fish.
Vibrio vulnificus infection is a bacterial infection to warm, seawater fish. It’s found in shellfish (especially oysters), other seafood, or the ocean. You can get it by eating contaminated fish. You can get it from contact with a fish or the ocean (through an open cut). It is not common and not contagious. The symptoms are similar to those of general food poisoning: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. More serious symptoms include a high fever, chills, low blood pressure, redness, swelling, and blisters on your skin. If the bacteria enters an open cut, it can become a more serious infection. Once that happens, it can spread through your bloodstream and become life-threatening. Blood and stool tests lead to a diagnosis. Your doctor also may look at the blisters on your skin.
You can reduce your risk of exposure by not eating undercooked shellfish and other seafood. Wash kitchen utensils in hot, soapy water. Wear gloves when handling the fish if you have an open cut. Avoid ocean water until your cut or wound has healed.
Antibiotics are often used to treat the infection. In severe cases, you may need surgery or amputation where a cut or wound was infected with the bacteria.
This might interest you, Bali’s Jimbaran Sea Food Culinary discussed here https://unicare-clinic.com/jimbaran-food-gourmet-experience/
Tips for avoiding food poisoning
You can take a few simple steps to avoid food poisoning:
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
- Clean countertops, cutting boards, knives, and utensils before exposing them to different food items.
- Wash your hands and utensils often.
- Don’t put raw and cooked meats on the same plate.
- If knives have been used to cut up uncooked chicken, do not use them to cut up other ingredients that will not be cooked.
- Cook meat thoroughly. Use a meat thermometer if needed. Make sure beef is cooked to at least 160°F, chicken and other poultry to 180°F, and fish to 140°F.
- Don’t use packaged food that has expired.
- Throw away food in bulging or dented cans.
- Refrigerate leftover food if it isn’t going to be eaten within 4 hours.
- Don’t eat wild mushrooms.
- Don’t eat soft cheeses (especially imported) if you are pregnant or have a weak immune system.
- When traveling abroad, don’t eat raw fruits or vegetables that haven’t been washed in an antimicrobial rinse. Avoid unfiltered (or unboiled) tap water.
- When at restaurants or social gatherings, avoid foods that have been left out of the refrigerator for long periods of time.
During travel if you think you have food poisoning from seafood seek medical care immediately.
