🔗 Share this article

It's probably fair to say that a significant number of people in the contemporary era do not consider food poisoning a grave concern. Sure, the majority know to wash up after raw chicken and keep vegetables separate from meat, yet few can profess perfect adherence, having occasionally used the same tools throughout a grill session or forgotten to refrigerate leftovers promptly. Ignore that rhetorical question for a moment, though – before you comment that of course everyone should do all those things, let’s talk about what’s happening in your body when it all goes horribly wrong.

Inside the Infection: The Different Ways Bacteria and Viruses Attack

At the risk of stating the obvious, food poisoning occurs when you eat food contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses or toxins – but that doesn’t mean it always works the same way. “Some bacteria, such as Bacillus cereus – sometimes found in reheated rice – produce toxins before the food is eaten, meaning they can cause symptoms such as sudden vomiting within hours,” notes a specialist who frequently treats individuals with food poisoning. Bacillus cereus also produces a second variety of toxic substance in the digestive tract, which can result in diarrhea. “Others, such as Salmonella and E. coli, act after you’ve eaten and often cause longer-lasting symptoms through inflammation of the gut.”

Technically speaking, then, an expert might be able to guess what type of bacteria or virus you have ingested based on how quickly you become ill after eating. But in practical terms, that rarely happens.

“These various bacteria employ distinct methods,” points out an researcher specializing in pathogens. “For instance, Campylobacter jejuni—common in chicken—has a corkscrew structure that allows it to penetrate the gut lining. Conversely, Shigatoxigenic E. coli sickens the host by secreting potent toxins. The end result for both is inflammation and debilitating diarrhea.” Thus, despite the availability of remedies including antimicrobials, clinicians often struggle to select the appropriate therapy without knowing the exact culprit.

“Upon visiting a physician for a suspected foodborne illness, antibiotic treatment is generally not the first course of action,” the expert continues. “The reason for that is that if you’ve got the Shiga toxin-producing variant of E. coli, and if you then kill all those bugs with antibiotics, they’re just going to release all the toxins inside them and make you even more sick. So without a specific infection diagnosis, it’s quite often safer to just let things get better on their own.”

How to Avoid Illness: Key Food Safety Practices

How can one steer clear of such a miserable experience? “Time-honored guidance remains profoundly applicable,” experts emphasize. “Oysters are always a risk, as is eating any kind of raw meat – there’s been a vogue for people to eat medium-rare burgers recently, which is a bit troubling.” The reasoning is clear: cooking must destroy bacteria on meat surfaces exposed to air. For a solid steak, searing the exterior suffices, but for ground meat, where contamination is mixed throughout, thorough cooking of the entire portion is necessary.

Washing chicken – still bizarrely popular in some circles – is an absolute no-no, as it’s likely to spread bacteria all over your kitchen and utensils, rather than reducing your chance of infection. Essential rules involve rigorous hygiene, preventing cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods, prompt refrigeration of cooked dishes, and confirming thorough cooking, possibly aided by a temperature probe. “Similar to preventing many illnesses, diligent handwashing is incredibly effective for avoiding sickness,” it is noted. “In this case, it means washing your hands thoroughly after handling food, and after using the toilet.”

Recovery and Risks: What to Do If You Get Sick

For most otherwise healthy adults, a bout of food poisoning, while unpleasant, is typically self-limiting and not cause for panic. “The main risk from food poisoning is dehydration, which is why it is important to drink plenty of water and supplement with oral rehydration salts when you are experiencing it,” a medical specialist explains. “Resuming a nutritious diet aids healing, but initially, a bland regimen—often called the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast)—can be helpful if regular foods are too difficult to tolerate.”

Rarely, a severe bout can trigger sepsis, indicated by a rapid pulse and feelings of faintness. Contact a healthcare professional without delay if such symptoms occur. “In a minority of cases, you might also develop post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can be characterised by abdominal pain and bloating,” it is further explained. Persistent symptoms warrant a consultation with a physician.

On a positive note, most infections are short-lived, with the immune system effectively neutralizing the threat within a short period. The lesson? Perhaps be more mindful about utensil hygiene at your next barbecue.