Sushi Food Poisoning Signs

Food poisoning is one of the more common aliments to afflict people. Food that is past its expiration date or not properly prepared can cause food poisoning. Sushi is a food that lends itself to food poisoning because it a food that is handled by many people, contains raw and cooked elements and is served at room temperature. If anything is off about the sushi, it can make people sick.

Salmonella

Salmonella is one of the most commonly contracted types of food poisoning. It can come from many other things besides sushi, but because sushi often involves raw fish there is a higher risk of contracting it. Although there are three ways in which salmonella can affect a person, it often manifests itself as gastroenteritis. According to the Center for Disease Control the symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. The symptoms will last anywhere for four to seven days and often ,can be remedied without the need of a physician. If the diarrhea is especially severe those afflicted may need to be admitted to a hospital because the disease can spread to the intestines or bloodstream. Antibiotics will be given only if the case is severe enough or if the salmonella has entered the intestines. People with weakened immune systems often develop more severe cases.

Staphylococcus Aureus

Staphylococcus Aureus is a disease that can come from the rice of the sushi rather than the fish. The rice can grow this bacterium rapidly if it is not quickly chilled after making. This ailment is more common in foods such as casseroles and custard based deserts, but because sushi is often prepared and served at room temperature, it is possible to contract it. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea and loss of appetite, mild fever and diarrhea; they usually only last one to two days at most. The best treatment for Staphylococcus Aureus is replenishing fluids and electrolytes lost by vomiting and diarrhea. The National Library of Medicine says that anti-diarrhea medicines can be used but are not always necessary.

Anisakiasis

Anisakiasis is a disease that comes from eating raw fish 2. This is considered a rare disease in the United States, although it has been on the rise with the popularity of sushi. The symptoms are very similar to other types of food poisoning; because of this a doctor is needed to actually diagnosis the ailment as anisakiasis 2. They include nausea, fever, stomach cramps, and vomiting. People get Anisakiasis from eating sushi or sashimi infected with the larvae of a parasitic worm known as the Anisakidae 2. Sushi chefs can usually spot the worm so it is rare to be infected with Anisakiasis 2. In severe cases, the worms must be removed by a doctor.