While chemical toxins in food cause a stir, bacteria often go unnoticed. Yet microbial food poisoning occurs 40 times more often in Germany than chemical-related food illnesses. Foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria can be very severe or even fatal. As a rule, the result is severe diarrhea, which can also cause secondary damage. Among the triggers of these diseases are Salmonella, so-called EHEC bacteria, Champhylobacter and the bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica, the third most common pathogen of foodborne infections in Germany.
Summertime is diarrhea season
Especially in the summer months, the number of inflammatory diarrheal diseases increases significantly. Not only people love the warm weather, but bacteria also feel particularly at home in high temperatures and then multiply extremely quickly. Only 100 germs can thus become well over 3 million germs within 5 hours. In the case of a salmonella illness, the number of germs is decisive: if there are only a few salmonella in the potato salad, you will get away without diarrhea. But with 3 million germs on the spoon, no intestine is left untouched.
Mass illnesses caused by salmonella
The fact that salmonella is also repeatedly the trigger of mass illnesses is due, among other things, to the rapid multiplication of the germs. Anyone who is ill with salmonella excretes the bacteria again in the stool and urine. The rod-shaped bacteria, of which there are estimated to be more than 2000 different species, attach themselves to the intestinal wall after ingestion and thus trigger the infection. American scientists have now discovered that wall contact is controlled by a specific gene. Research efforts are now directed toward preventing attachment to the intestinal wall and supporting the active onward movement of the germ in the intestine.
EHEC bacteria put kidneys at risk
The name EHEC means enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and refers to a group of bacteria that cause severe bloody diarrhea. In some cases, it causes what is known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), in which blood vessel walls are damaged. The bacteria themselves destroy the cell walls. The toxin they produce in their metabolism attacks the blood cells and blood vessels of the kidney, gastrointestinal tract and occasionally the brain. This can lead to acute kidney failure. Platelets, which are important for blood clotting, are also attacked and decrease rapidly. If left untreated, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) leads to death.
Avoid EHEC infection through hygiene
“After eating, before eating, don’t forget to wash your hands” is an old saying. It still applies – and not just to children. EHEC bacteria belong to the group of coli bacteria, which are found everywhere. Humans also naturally carry certain coli bacteria around with them. However, the aggressive EHEC bacteria originate from the intestines of cattle, sheep and poultry, but also from the feces of pigeons. EHEC bacteria are ingested with food, for example when meat is not sufficiently heated or eaten raw. However, raw milk and raw milk products are also a source of infection for EHEC. Washing hands as a preventive measure is particularly important because the germs can be passed on via a so-called smear infection through tiny traces of feces when petting animals. And only hand washing can help against this.
Hygiene is not kitchen talk
In fact, hygiene is the be-all and end-all of preventing all microbial foodborne illnesses. It covers a wide range: it starts with producing food that is as germ-free as possible, continues with optimal hygiene in the food industry and in the home, and does not stop at proper food storage. Choosing food that is as fresh as possible is just as important as looking at the expiration date on packaged goods. During the warm summer months, it’s a good idea to use a cooler to transport perishable foods such as meat, poultry, fish and eggs. When processing food in your own kitchen, paper towels, i.e. disposable cloths, for wiping away are just as much a weapon against food poisoning as plastic boards for cutting. These are easier to clean than wooden boards, whose fibrous structures allow germs to penetrate easily. Those who use cotton or microfiber household wipes should wash them daily at 60 degrees Celsius.Vegetables and meat should be cut on separate boards and also stored separately. The defrost water from frozen poultry is particularly germ-intensive. It should therefore not come into contact with other foods.
The germ that came from the cold
Even if food has been properly stored and refrigerated, microbial contamination can occasionally occur. The culprit then is usually the bacterium Yersinia enterocilitica, which loves cold and can multiply even in the refrigerator through prolonged storage so that the germ count is sufficient for infection. In France, a series of fatal illnesses caused by Listeria caused a stir at the beginning of 2002. These germs can multiply particularly well in vacuum packaging because they are found there alone. It is therefore important to check expiration dates and not to eat packaged food after the expiration date. The Robert Koch Institute estimates that 200 adults become infected with listeria each year.
