Shock! A woman's lungs were full of fungi after touching moldy corn. These things need to be kept away from...

Such a news appeared on the hot search on Weibo. The things that the woman in this news touched must have been touched by many people.

According to a report from Wuhan, a 23-year-old woman went back to her hometown to help harvest corn some time ago. Afterwards, she had been coughing and wheezing for more than a month. Doctors found that her lungs were full of Aspergillus flavus, which caused a fungal infection. According to the woman's recollection, she was mainly responsible for collecting the dried corn into bags. Some of the corn might have been damaged by rain, but she did not take any protective measures.

Source: Weibo video

What is Aspergillus flavus? How does the fungus infect the lungs?

**What is Aspergillus flavus? **Aspergillus flavus is a common mold in nature. Peanuts and corn are especially susceptible to contamination with aflatoxin and its toxins.

Aflatoxin is highly toxic. In 1993, it was classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO)'s cancer research agency. There are many types of aflatoxin, each of which is much more toxic than cyanide, arsenic and organic pesticides.

A single large intake of aflatoxin can cause acute poisoning, with symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and in severe cases, acute liver damage or even death. Long-term intake of small doses can cause chronic liver damage and even induce liver cancer and tumors in other parts of the body, such as gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and kidney cancer.

How did you get infected?

Aflatoxin is mainly absorbed through the digestive tract. After entering our body, it is mainly distributed in the liver, kidneys, blood, muscles and adipose tissue. Once poisoned, there will be transient fever, vomiting, anorexia, jaundice, ascites, lower limb edema and other symptoms of liver poisoning. In severe cases, fulminant liver failure and death may occur.

According to the hospital's doctors, the corn the woman harvested may have been contaminated by a large amount of Aspergillus flavus. During the corn harvesting process, a large number of Aspergillus flavus spores spread into the air. Xiao Liu did not take any protective measures and inhaled a large amount of Aspergillus flavus into her airway in a short period of time, which colonized in her lungs and eventually led to a serious lung infection.

Aspergillus flavus can cause aspergillosis of the lungs and sometimes infections of the cornea, ears, nose and orbits. The spores of Aspergillus flavus are also an allergen and can easily cause allergic reactions.

The editor reminds that when drying and storing crops such as corn and peanuts, you should pay attention to the ventilation of the environment and try to stand upwind when operating; at the same time, take personal protection measures and wear a mask with good sealing properties; if you have airway allergic diseases, you should try to avoid contact.

In daily life, do not eat moldy food, especially moldy peanuts, dried fruits, etc.

Where is aflatoxin hidden?

Image source: Pixabay

1. Peanuts and corn

Aflatoxin is hidden in moldy foods, especially those with high starch content, such as peanuts and corn. Starch can breed aflatoxin, which causes liver cancer, in a hot and humid environment. The rice, millet, and beans we often eat, especially in a hot and humid environment, will also fall into its clutches once they become moldy.

suggestion:

1. Buy less each time and don’t “store” it to avoid mold.

2. Because aflatoxin spreads in the form of spores, food is easily implicated in mold, and aflatoxin has a low solubility in water, making it more difficult to handle. If you find that a peanut is rotten, the whole bowl of peanuts, or the whole bag of peanuts you have stored, must be thrown away.

2. Spoiled rice

Don’t think you can relax your vigilance once the rice is cooked. Spoiled rice is most likely to produce aflatoxin!

Meng Lina, a national second-level nutritionist and senior food inspector, said, "There is an example of an elder in my life who has been eating leftovers for many years and has developed cancer in his 40s. In order not to waste food, he often eats rice that has a strange smell. You know, spoiled rice is the most likely to produce aflatoxin! Maybe his illness has no direct relationship with this habit, but at least this habit is unhealthy and will harm our body."

suggestion:

When cooking, make only as much as you want to eat, and it’s best to eat it all on the same day without leaving any leftovers.

3. Bitter nuts

The biggest safety risk in melon seeds comes from mold, such as carcinogenic aflatoxin.

suggestion:

If you eat melon seeds that have turned bitter, be sure to spit them out and rinse your mouth immediately, because the bitterness of melon seeds and other nuts comes from aflatoxin produced during the moldy process, and frequent intake will increase the risk of liver cancer.

4. Unwashed chopsticks

Many families also have this habit. They are reluctant to throw away chopsticks even when the cracks on them turn black, and they keep using dishcloths even when they have completely lost their shape.

Chopsticks themselves will not breed aflatoxin, but when we use chopsticks to pick up food, we will inevitably pick up foods with high starch content such as peanuts and corn. If the chopsticks are not washed thoroughly after use or the chopsticks are not replaced for a long time, starch will remain in the gaps of the chopsticks, causing mold and eventually breeding aflatoxin.

How to prevent the production of aflatoxin?

1. Dispose of moldy and spoiled food in time. Although "waste is shameful", compared with your health, throwing away inedible food is a justifiable act. If you find that rice, peanuts, nuts and other foods at home are moldy, you must throw them away in time and never eat them again.

2. Learn to store food correctly, especially grain, and keep it in a dry and ventilated place to avoid mold and aflatoxin from improper storage. In addition, do not stockpile large amounts of food at home. It is best to buy only as much as you eat to reduce the risk of aflatoxin infection.

Image source: Pixabay

3. Pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene. Chopsticks, cutting boards and other kitchen utensils should be cleaned in time and replaced regularly to avoid the breeding of bacteria and aflatoxin.

4. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits to supplement chlorophyll. Studies have shown that chlorophyll can reduce the body's absorption rate of aflatoxin B1.

5. If you must be in a moldy environment, it is best to wear a mask, gloves, etc. and take protective measures in advance.

Source: 39 Health Network, Science Popularization China, City Express, Food News

Source: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd.

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