As summertime rolls around, families will begin to fire up the grill and make seasonal salads, preparing for the months of summer cookouts ahead.
What they may not prepare for are foodborne illnesses that can occur as a result.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says each year, 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, with the top five foodborne germs causing illness being Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus aureus (staph infection).
Norovirus can be contracted by eating undercooked shellfish, leafy greens, fresh fruits, and is often associated with stomach flu, according to research from The Cleveland Clinic .
Salmonella can commonly occur from raw eggs and undercooked poultry, and Clostridium perfringens comes from eating contaminated meat or poultry.
The bacterial infection Campylobacter occurs from undercooked poorly processed meats and milk, along with undercooked poultry, meat, and eggs; Staph infections can happen when staph bacteria is transferred from someone’s hand to their food, and may affect many parts of the body.
“There are multiple foodborne illnesses that can be associated with grilling and preparing salads,” a spokesman at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) said. “Including, E. Coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.”
E.coli is commonly found in undercooked meat and raw vegetables, and Listeria can form from bacteria in soft cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, and raw sprouts.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 2023, there were 630 cases of Salmonella in Ohio, according to data provided by the ODH .
“Anyone can be affected by foodborne illness,” the ODH explained, “but young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals are more susceptible.”
Robert Hall, a certified nurse practitioner at ProMedica Urgent Care, added that people 65 and older are also at greater risk.
Limiting the exposure
The CDC reported the five risk factors for foodborne illnesses, which include: improper cooling or heating of perishable food items, improper cooking temperatures of food, dirty and/or contaminated utensils and equipment, poor employee health and hygiene, and food from unsafe sources.
The four guidelines to limit the risk of foodborne illness, according to the ODH’s Food Safety at Home page, are clean, separate, cook, and chill.
Washing your hands – following the 20 second scrub rule – and surfaces frequently is key to reducing the spread of bacteria, along with making sure to adequately wash fruits and vegetables.
Eliminating cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards for produce and for meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs is another safety precaution.
“Cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding foods at proper temperatures limits growth of pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses,” the ODH added. “Disease-causing microorganisms, such as bacteria, grow very slowly at low temperatures, multiply rapidly in mid-range temperatures, and are killed at high temperatures.”
It is not recommended that food be held in the “danger zone,” which is between 41 and 135 degrees, the spokesperson said. Cold foods should be kept at 41 degrees or lower, and hot foods at 135 degrees or higher.
“Proper cooking temperatures ensure that harmful pathogens are killed,” said Dr. Rawan Narwal from Mercy Health - Franklin Avenue Internal Medicine. “If serving hot food, keep it above 240 degrees to prevent bacterial overgrowth.”
Refrigerating foods properly is another tip from the ODH’s webpage, which stated “illness-causing bacteria can grow in perishable foods within two hours unless you refrigerate them,” and in summertime, if the temperature is above 90 degrees, within one hour.
Dr. Narwal, who is an internal medicine doctor, added that leftovers should be consumed within three to four days.
Refrigerators should be kept between 32 and 40 degrees, as noted by the ODH, and when freezing food make sure the freezer is set to 0 degrees or below, remembering that freezing does not destroy harmful bacteria, but it does keep food safe until it's ready to be used.
Food should not be thawed or marinated on the counter, instead it should either be thawed in the refrigerator for next day use, in cold water or the microwave for faster thawing, or cooked without thawing.
How you’ll know it’s a rotten egg
General symptoms for foodborne illnesses include both diarrhea and vomiting, Mr. Hall explained.
“Sometimes we do get fevers and body aches and chills. … [Or] abdominal cramping when our body is trying to process that,” he continued. “We can get headaches, especially if we are dehydrated.”
Dehydration is a major worry when someone contracts a foodborne illness, he explained, adding that’s why some patients need to seek medical help to restore fluids and electrolytes.
“Usually I'm going to be noticing lower [urine] output because our body doesn’t have enough fluid. … And after that urine starts to decrease, then we’ll start noticing some blurred vision,” the nurse practitioner added. “We’ll start noticing mucous membranes are getting more dry, in the mouth and nose.”
Other symptoms can include heart palpitations, or feeling like “our hearts are fluttering or skipping a beat,” fatigue, weakness, and dizziness.
“Anybody with bloody or black stools, we definitely recommend them coming in to see us, or any rectal pain,” he continued. “Also people with increased antibiotic use. We do see a disorder called C. Diff, which is usually a hospital acquired illness, but it can be very detrimental and cause very foul smelling diarrhea.”
The length of a patient experiencing symptoms generally lasts anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, Mr. Hall said, yet some bacterial infections can have recurring symptoms for months if not treated properly.
How it’s treated
“Most food poisoning is mild and resolves without treatment. Ensuring adequate hydration and allowing it to run its course is best,” Dr. Narwal advised. “Resting and eating foods that are bland and easy on the stomach such as broth or toast can help as well.”
Food poisoning can lead to dehydration, kidney problems, and even death if left untreated, she explained.
If symptoms don’t resolve for the average person after 10 to 14 days, Mr. Hall said additional medical treatment may be needed.
“Electrolytes are very important,” the nurse practitioner explained, adding that drinking Gatorade or Gatorlyte, a more electrolyte-dense beverage, can be beneficial to ease symptoms. “Not only the water, we need to be thinking about electrolytes too, just to get some of that back in.”
Stool testing is one measure used to see what bacteria is affecting the body, he said, noting that patients are treated symptomatically.
Antibiotics may be prescribed, Mr. Hall said, and in some cases, over-the-counter medications – like Pepto-Bismol – are recommended to help relieve diarrhea and other symptoms.
For bloody stools and/or fever symptoms, it's recommended to consult with a medical professional, and to not use over-the-counter medications before doing so.
“Individuals should see their doctor if they have bloody diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than three days, a high fever, vomiting that impacts their ability to keep liquids down, or signs of dehydration,” the ODH spokesman added. Such as “not urinating much, a dry mouth and throat, and/or feeling dizzy when standing.”
The ODH advised people to consult with a healthcare provider for proper treatments.
Contact Maddie Coppel at: mcoppel@theblade.com.
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