COMMUNICABLE AND NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASE: Food poisoning in Malaysia

Food poisoning in Malaysia.

Food poisoning is a general term for health problem arising from eating contamination food. Food maybe contaminated by bacteria, viruses, environmental toxins or toxins present within the food itself, such as in some mushrooms or certain seafood. symptoms of food poisoning usually involve nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some food borne toxins can affect the nervous system.

Food Poisoning Case such as Salmonella Infection can be vital and cause death in humans. Salmonellosis is a type of food poisoning caused by the Salmonella bacterium. There are many different types of these bacteria.

For example, this group is 20 times more likely to become infected with the Salmonella bacteria than the general information.

Common Pathogens Causing Food Poisoning
Pathogen	Common Host(s)
Campylobacter	Poultry
E.coli 0157:H7	Undercooked, contaminated ground beef
Listeria	Found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, and in processed foods that become contaminated after processing
Salmonella	Poultry, eggs, meat, and milk
Shigella	This bacteria is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person or from food or water that become contaminated by an infected person
Vibrio	Contaminated seafood

Other cases of Food Poisoning in Malaysia

1. On October 2012 at Muar, Johore Bahru 83 Malaysian students ill after drinking free milk. The pupils started vomiting and purging 30 minutes after drinking the milk during recess on Thursday. School authorities, which stopped the media from entering the compound, alerted the Health Department, which rushed teams to the school.

One of the pupils said he had to run to the toilet after drinking the milk – “I vomited three times when I was in the toilet and purged twice. After I returned to my class, several friends also suffered similar pains. My teacher quickly took us to another room.” Health Department and those related with food supplied at all schools to ensure all food is fresh and clean.

2. Thirty-six people are down with food poisoning after eating Roti John (beef or chicken sandwiches) bought from a stall at a Ramadan bazaar in Taman Seri Muda, Shah Alam, the Health Ministry said. Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said no deaths had been reported but 24 of them were still being treated in hospitals and 12 were given outpatient treatment.

“Preliminary results from five clinical specimens found that the victims had suffered from salmonella spp. Tests on specimens from the food operator and environmental swabs are still ongoing. The results will be known within the next two days,” he said.

3. 54 students down with food poisoning in Kedah at Pendang. 54 student of Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendang students were rushed to a health clinic here after experiencing dizziness, vomiting and stomach ache following a meal of rice and chicken sambal at the school canteen.

Kedah health director Datuk Dr Ismail Abu Taat said 10 of them were sent to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar for further treatment.The victims were standard one, two, four and five pupils who had rice with a chicken dish at the school canteen during recess.

Dr Ismail said the health department was taking samples of the food to identify the type of bacteria.He said the school canteen would also be closed for two weeks for a clean-up by its operator until the authorities are satisfied with the level of cleanliness.

4. Poison 'KENDURI' at Sungai Petani, Kedah.The food poisoning incident that resulted in four deaths during a wedding kenduri was caused by Ayam Masak Merah which had been contaminated by salmonella bacteria due to improper food preparation.

Kedah Health Department director Dr Ismail Abu Taat said investigations showed that the bacteria had spread to the chicken used for ayam masak merah (sweet and spicy chicken) dish after the chicken was left overnight at room temperature.

He said poor food preparation for the dish had resulted in salmonella bacteria contaminating the chicken.

Following the banquet, four people died while some 60 others were admitted to hospital after they showed symptoms of food poisoning.

Fisherman Yusuf Ahmad, 55, said the dish was prepared by his sister-in-law Solehah Harun, with the help of relatives and neighbours, using ingredients he bought from a market on Friday and Saturday.

The dead were identified as Nurshazana Mohd Rashid, 24, Mohd Nor Rahmat Yusof, 11, Ibrahim Mohamad, 62, and Wan Razali Yaakob, 56.

Mohd Nor Rahmat’s mother, Che Norma Khalid, said her son suffered from abdominal pain after he returned from the feast.

“His condition worsened the following morning and he was sent to the Yan Hospital. He became unconscious and died at the hospital.” Of the 62 guests who were warded, two are in critical condition.

Prevention and control

What can you do to protect yourself and your family from food poisoning?

Wash hands and surfaces often.

Illness-causing bacteria can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your hands, utensils, and cutting boards. Wash hands the right way for 20 seconds with soap and running water. Be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

Dont cross contaminate

Even after you’ve cleaned your hands and surfaces thoroughly, raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can still spread illness-causing bacteria to ready-to-eat foods—unless you keep them separate.

Use separate cutting boards, plate and utensils for raw (uncooked) produce and for raw (uncooked) meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
Keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods while you’re shopping at the grocery store.
Keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods in the refrigerator.

Cook to the right temperature.

For example, internal temperatures should be 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating), 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry. Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.

During meal times, while food is being served and eaten, keep it hot (at 140 ˚F or above). After meals are over, refrigerate leftover food quickly.
Microwave food thoroughly (to 165 ˚F).

Refrigerate promptly.

Refrigerate the foods that tend to spoil more quickly (like fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, and meats) within two hours. Warm foods will chill faster if they are divided into several clean, shallow containers.
Thaw or marinate foods in the refrigerator, never on the counter or in the kitchen sink.
Know when to throw food out .Illness-causing bacteria can grow in many foods within two hours unless you refrigerate them. (During the summer heat, cut that time down to one hour.)