Fast food workers: Wash your hands
I have been sick the past few days. I am not sure what caused it, where I contracted the illness, but I am sick. In my mind, this reiterates the need for everyone to wash his or her hands.
A recent study co-authored by William Burkhardt, a food virologist and microbiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), explains that more than half of food service workers do not wash their hands before returning to work.
In an article by the Quad-City Times, foodborne illnesses can happen anywhere and they are easy to transmit:
Norovirus, hepatitis A and E. coli, another gastrointestinal infection, are the most common food-borne illnesses involving restaurants, Burkhardt said. Norovirus, like hepatitis A, is spread by fecal matter on food products that are then ingested by unaware patrons. However, the hepatitis A symptoms might not show up for 10-14 days while those with norovirus know much more quickly, in as little as 12 hours after ingestion.
Those who ingest the hepatitis A virus need only a few particles to eventually become ill, according to the microbiologist. "Oftentimes, a hundred million of these viral particles are present in a gram of fecal material," he said.
Even a small piece of fecal matter on a person's hand can transmit the germs, especially to salads, uncooked food items or in ice. The virus is killed during proper cooking.
To prevent the spread of foodborne illness food service workers should abide by proper handwashing and proper glove usage.
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I ate a fast food burger and it made me sick a few hours later: doubtful
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Ragland writes that on Monday, "I decided to swing through a popular fast-food restaurant to grab a burger, fries and a cold drink.
Hours later, the burger grabbed back. My stomach tightened. A chill fell over me. Then sweat.
If you've ever had food poisoning, you know what happened next.
One recurring thought crossed my mind as my wife patiently dabbed a cold damp towel across my forehead: "Go into the kitchen, fetch the solid cast-iron skillet and whack me over the head with it!"
By week's end, I was still struggling to get back to full strength, relying mostly on saltines and Gatorade."
Foodborne illness sucks for anyone, and Ragland deserves credit for reporting on the topic and telling people how to report foodborne illness in Dallas. However, except for a few toxins, it's not the last meal that made someone like Ragland sick, and fast-food joints -- especially the popular ones -- have fairly good food safety systems; they have too, with so many outlets and so many people looking to make a fast buck. Incubation times for most foodborne ailments can be found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bad Bug Book at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/app2.html.
If you think food made you sick, here's what to do:
• go to the doctor if necessary;
• keep the food, in the fridge or freezer if necessary; and,
• contact your local health department.
