Confirmed: Detected positive! Hundreds of people in Beijing were infected, and there is no specific medicine yet

Recently, a "Suggestion Letter to All Alumni and Current Students and Teachers" on a social platform has attracted attention. The suggestion letter mentioned that from April 26 to 28, Tsinghua University celebrated its 113th anniversary. Alumni from many places participated in the celebration activities and went to Zui Ai Restaurant outside the southeast gate of the school for dinner. Hundreds of alumni suffered from food poisoning.

The proposal mentioned that after the same incubation period of everyone dining at the restaurant, many people developed food poisoning, with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, fever, abdominal discomfort, fatigue, muscle aches, etc.

As of the evening of May 1, 102 people had developed the above symptoms. At 22:30 on May 6, the Beijing Haidian District Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report stating that samples were collected and fully tested from the staff, environment and food of the "Zui Ai" fashion restaurant, and some samples were found to be positive for norovirus.

Comprehensively judging, this incident was caused by acute gastroenteritis caused by Norovirus infection. At present, the district CDC has proposed measures such as suspension of business, terminal disinfection, and health education for the restaurant involved.

Source: Haidian CDC official WeChat account The National Health Commission's "Healthy China" WeChat official account once introduced that norovirus has the characteristics of short incubation period, rapid mutation, strong environmental resistance, and diverse transmission routes, and the general population is susceptible. The incubation period of norovirus infection is usually 24 to 48 hours, and the transmission routes include person-to-person transmission, food transmission, and water transmission. Norovirus gastroenteritis is an acute intestinal infectious disease caused by norovirus. Once infected with norovirus, adults mainly show diarrhea, while children mainly vomit. The "Healthy China" WeChat official account introduced that there is currently no vaccine or specific medicine for norovirus. It is a self-limiting disease.

On the afternoon of May 6, the reporter found at the scene that the restaurant involved - Beijing Zui Ai Fashion Restaurant Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zui Ai Restaurant) was in a state of suspension.

Image source: Photo taken by reporter Yu Yilang of Meijing

Prevention in summer

Food Poisoning Guide

Summer begins in Beijing in May, with half of the city covered in green trees and the other half in flowers.

The taste of summer, you will know it after taking a sip.

Ice cream and watermelon are the reasons why I love summer.

…

actually

There are always a group of " assassins " lurking around delicious food .

They may be good at invisibility,

Or good at imitating, swallowing it casually,

Not only "stealing money", but even "killing people" .

Mild cases include vomiting and diarrhea.

In serious cases, there is no return.

Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!

Please accept this

Guide to preventing food poisoning in summer ,

"Give you a summer that melts in your mouth."

Go to the family group.

We can also guarantee that this summer,

On the watermelon cut by my mother,

No taste of onion, ginger and garlic!

First guide

Meet the Invisible Assassin

The rise in temperature is conducive to the reproduction of microorganisms. There are many invisible "assassins" hidden in the seafood, meat, eggs, milk and other foods we often eat - foodborne pathogens .

Seafood's invisible assassin - Vibrio parahaemolyticus

As the saying goes, summer and seafood go together better, but Vibrio parahaemolyticus and seafood may be even more "matched". The main food contaminated by Vibrio parahaemolyticus is seafood , including a variety of marine fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, etc.

The main symptoms are nausea, vomiting (not often), abdominal pain, paroxysmal colic around the umbilicus, diarrhea, often watery stools, and some people have a low fever. Severe cases can lead to dehydration, low blood pressure, and even shock.

Salmonella, the invisible assassin of meat, eggs and milk

Salmonella mainly contaminates meat, eggs, milk and their products . Patients infected with Salmonella will experience abdominal pain, diarrhea (yellow-green watery stool, sometimes pus, blood or mucus stool) and fever .

People with weakened immune systems (such as children, the elderly and pregnant women) will experience more severe symptoms of infection and may develop serious complications such as chills, convulsions, seizures and coma .

High-protein food invisible assassin

Staphylococcus aureus

Common foods that are easily contaminated are foods rich in protein, such as meat and meat products, eggs and their products, milk and dairy products, cream cakes, etc.

Staphylococcus aureus may have a cute name, but it has a powerful weapon – enterotoxin. It is highly heat-resistant and cannot be completely destroyed even when heated to 100°C for 30 minutes [1], so it can still cause illness in humans.

Symptoms of enterotoxin poisoning often include nausea, severe vomiting, abdominal pain and other symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. The course of the disease is short and the lethality is strong.

Guide Part 2

Beware of "copycat assassins"

In the season of lush grass and singing birds, people go on outings. While enjoying the feast of nature, they also have to be wary of some " mimic assassins " - poisonous plants.

Shilongrui

Water celery mimics assassin

Ranunculaceae looks similar to water celery and is easily eaten by mistake. Ranunculaceae is commonly known as "wild celery". Its leaves are round and kidney-shaped, and its flowers are small with yellow petals. The whole plant is poisonous, and the flowers are more toxic . It contains toxins such as ranunculaceae and anemonin. Ranunculaceae can cause photosensitivity dermatitis.

If humans accidentally ingest it, symptoms of poisoning include burning and swelling of the mouth, difficulty chewing, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, etc. In severe cases, it may lead to death.

The leaves of water celery are pinnately compound and it blooms white flowers .

Hemerocallis, daylily mimics assassin

Daylily is a plant of the genus Hemerocallis. Except for daylily, most of the other plants in the genus Hemerocallis are inedible . The ones we see in flower beds every day are large-bracted daylilies or golden baby daylilies.

Daylilies contain a large amount of colchicine, which is difficult to remove through cooking and processing , so poisoning can occur if accidentally ingested.

Hemerocallis

Daylily

Mandala-Super Mimic Assassin

Datura, also known as Datura stramonium and trumpet flower, is poisonous throughout the plant , with the fruit and especially the seeds being the most toxic. The main toxic substances are alkaloids such as hyoscyamine, scopolamine and atropine. The stems, leaves and seeds are similar to some food ingredients (such as okra, spinach, etc.) or medicinal materials, and Datura poisoning is often caused by mixing or accidental ingestion.

The earliest and most typical clinical manifestation is the anticholinergic syndrome, which includes dryness and flushing of the skin and mucous membranes, pupil dilation, and sinus tachycardia [2].

The poisoning routes of Datura also include inhalation through the respiratory tract, contact with eyes and skin, etc. Although this flower is beautiful, you should stay away from it when you see it, and don't touch, pick or eat it !

Mandala flower

Guide Part 3

Defense

Although the “assassins” around food are ever-changing and operate in secret, we can still “win the enemy without fighting”. The secret to defense is the five key points of food safety [3]!

1. Keep it clean

Wash your hands before meals and after defecation. Also wash your hands before and during cooking, especially when handling raw and cooked foods or after answering or making phone calls.

Pay attention to keeping the kitchen clean and dry. For example, tableware, chopstick cages, knives and cutting boards, especially rags , should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Prevent insects, pests, and other animals from entering the kitchen and coming into contact with food, such as covering food or storing it in sealed containers, ensuring that trash cans are tightly covered and emptied regularly , and keeping animals away from food preparation areas.

2. Separate raw and cooked food

"Raw" refers to raw materials that still need to be heat treated , such as raw meat, poultry and raw seafood, and cooking ingredients such as onions, ginger, and garlic .

"Ripe" refers to food that can be eaten directly , such as watermelon and other fruits.

Separating raw and cooked food means preventing pathogens carried on raw food from contaminating food that is eaten directly, causing foodborne diseases. In addition to storing raw and cooked food in separate containers to avoid contact with each other, special attention should also be paid to separating the utensils used to process raw and cooked food, such as knives and cutting boards; water used to soak raw meat should not be splashed onto cooked and ready-to-eat food .

Therefore, try not to use knives that have been used to cut onions, ginger, and garlic to cut watermelon. Not only will it affect the flavor, it may also pose a risk of food poisoning !

3. Cook thoroughly

A general guideline for cooking through is to cook poultry until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink . Cook eggs and seafood until they are boiling. Soups and stews should be boiled continuously for at least one minute.

If it is a large piece of meat, such as a whole chicken, it will take longer to simmer after the pot is opened . When reheating cooked food, it must also be heated thoroughly .

When eating aquatic products such as snails, shells, crabs, etc., it is unsafe to eat them raw, half-cooked, soaked in wine, vinegar or pickled in salt and then eat them directly. Especially pregnant women, children, the elderly and other people with low immunity should try to avoid eating raw food. It is recommended to cook eggs before eating .

Processed lentils must be cooked thoroughly until they lose their original green color. Fresh day lilies must be soaked in water or blanched in boiling water, then discarded and stir-fried before eating.

4. Keep food at safe temperatures

Most microorganisms prefer room temperature. It is difficult for them to survive at temperatures above 70°C or below 4°C. In summer, cooked food should not be stored at room temperature for more than 2 hours . All cooked food and perishable food should be stored in the refrigerator in time. Do not store leftovers in the refrigerator for more than 3 days , and do not reheat them more than once.

Food should be thawed in the refrigerator or in a cold environment . Do not thaw it at room temperature as this can easily breed a large number of microorganisms.

But the refrigerator is not a safe. Some psychrophilic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes can still grow in a refrigerated environment. Therefore, food taken out of the refrigerator must be thoroughly heated or cleaned before eating .

5. Use safe water and food ingredients

When purchasing food, you should go to regular supermarkets or markets, and pay attention to the food label information such as production date, shelf life, storage conditions, etc.

Do not eat food that has exceeded its shelf life. Do not eat canned food if its packaging is bulging or deformed . Do not eat the remaining moldy fruit even if you cut off the rotten part .

Many wild vegetables are very similar to poisonous plants , and there is a high probability of misidentification when picking them. It is not recommended to pick them in the wild . Now many wild vegetables have been cultivated artificially. If you want to eat wild vegetables safely, it is recommended that citizens buy wild vegetables in regular supermarkets and farmers' markets, and do not buy them from casual vendors.

Although the above knowledge can help us avoid many risks of being "stabbed", there are many kinds of food, and there are also many kinds of "assassins" hidden in the food. Especially in the summer, the high temperature and high humidity environment provide a comfortable living space for the "assassins"!

If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as "nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea" or allergic symptoms after eating, you should seek medical attention immediately and describe your suspicious dining history to your doctor.

This summer, I hope everyone can indulge themselves and enjoy themselves with peace of mind!

Content sources: Daily Financial News, Haidian Disease Control, Beijing Traffic Radio, Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention