An Epidemic of Food Poisoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

An Epidemic of Food Poisoning - attempt ExampleThe etiological agents for this epidemic of fare poisoning is bacteria (Emedicine, 2008). Bacterial regimen poisoning agents such as salmonellae, staphylococcus aureus, bacillus cereus and vibrio cholerae are all possible etiological causes for this good example of food poisoning (Emedicine, 2008). Other agents such as E. coli and shigella are precluded because the symptoms enlisted in the case study do not underpin with those that are manifest by victims of these latter food poisoning agents (Emedicine, 2008). The E . coli/shigella compounding produce symptoms that are hemorrhagic in nature, symptoms that are absent from those listed in the case study.Among all these bacterial agents one viral agent can be included - Norwalk virus. The symptoms manifested by victims of norwalk virus poisoning corroborate exactly with those manifested by the victims of the case study epidemic (Emedicine, 2008).It was definitely food infection as en listed bacterial or viral agents are harmful only when a substantial number enters the hosts, usually military personnel and primates, body and multiplies and starts secreting toxins that adversely affect the host physiology. In contrast, toxification of food is usually a phenomenon that is caused by toxin producing agents alike some varieties of mushrooms (Emedicine, 2008). ... Answer 2It was definitely food infection as enlisted bacterial or viral agents are harmful only when a substantial number enters the hosts, usually humans and primates, body and multiplies and starts secreting toxins that adversely affect the host physiology. In contrast, toxification of food is usually a phenomenon that is caused by toxin producing agents like some varieties of mushrooms (Emedicine, 2008). Toxins in food like large game fish can also be induced by such fish feeding on dinoflagellates like algae (Arnold, 2007). This is a source of ciguatera poisoning (Arnold, 2007). some other common sour ce of food poisoning through toxicity in fish is scromboid poisoning associated with pitiful meat fish such as tuna, albacore and mackerel (Patrick, 2007). These are precluded in favor of food-borne infection by bacterial or viral agents because of lack of appropriate symptoms and duration of such symptoms. Question 3 How did the food get contaminated and which item was contaminatedAnswer 3Careful study of the data connect with the case study reveals some facts. The data is of the symptoms evidenced in each person who attended the dinner party at Port Allen, Louisiana, and the particular items of food each consumed there. The data also includes the particular hour and twenty-four hours on which the symptoms started developing and their duration.When the data set was scanned with an elimination method in which each item was scanned against persons who had eaten it and had actual the telltale symptoms - diarrhea, cramps, weakness, nausea, chills, headache, fever and vomiting - the re was no clear indication that any one food item was responsible for the infection outbreak. This is quite in corroboration with what the initial laboratory analysis had revealed - that some of