Reports of about 8 deaths in Kubwa, Abuja, has left many confused as to the cause, with the community alleging ‘food poison’ (from consuming birthday biscuit shared in school) and the Authorities calling it a ‘suspected case of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)’
What is food poisoning?
While many may solely attribute this to mean something sinister like “deliberately compromising a food substance with the intent of causing harm to the consumer”, medically, Food poisoning is illness contacted from food-borne pathogens which may result from eating contaminated, spoiled or even toxic food substances.
Symptoms
Although most forms of Food poisoning are not lethal (except in cases of poorly treated Botulism, caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum), its symptoms cannot be ignored by the sufferer; from colicky abdominal discomfort to vomiting.
Depending on the pathogen (bacteria, viruses or parasites) involved in a particular food poisoning, symptoms may appear within 2-6 hours of initial exposure and typically ends within 24-48 hours.
Other symptoms may include;
- Severe abdominal cramps
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea (watery stool) or constipation
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle cramps
- Headache
- Seating thirst
- Shock
- Loss of consciousness
Viral Gastroenteritis
Meanwhile, Viral Gastroenteritis (stomach flu/stomach bug) may sometimes be mistaken for Food poisoning because both share similar symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal cramps.
Viral gastroenteritis is a contagion mostly caused by the rotavirus, adenovirus, and norovirus, which may take days before the manifestation of symptoms.
Its occurrence is mostly in the rainy seasons (because of the cold and dampness) and the easiest mode of transmission is direct contact with an infected person, and contaminated stool or vomit.
Symptoms include;
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Weight loss
- Joint aches
- Lightheadedness
Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)
This, on the other hand, is quite dissimilar to the above named. It is an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain, caused by a bacteria ‘Neisseria meningitidis’.
The rapid spread of the disease is due to the ease in which the bacteria are transmitted. Droplets of respiratory or throat secretions transmit the bacteria through methods such as kissing, sneezing, coughing and sharing of eating or drinking utensils.
Due to the swelling caused by the inflammation, headache, fever and a stiff neck results. Depending on the severity, some may be life-threatening and require emergent treatment (5-10% deaths within 24-48 hours of symptom onset)
Symptoms
Early onset may mimic influenza (cold, catarrh, fever and the likes), but soon develops within hours or days.
Symptoms may include;
- Sudden high fever
- Severe headache accompanied by nausea or vomiting
- Stiff neck
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Sensitivity to light
- Anorexia
- Skin rash (as in meningococcal meningitis)
In infants, these may be noticed;
- Constant crying
- High fever
- Excessive sleepiness or irritability
- Poor feeding
- Inactivity or sluggishness
- Stiffness in baby’s body and neck
- Bulge in the fontanel (soft spot on top baby’s head)
Although conclusive diagnosis of cause of death is yet to be made, due to the suddenness of the deaths in Kubwa, which may be considered in congruence with the fatality of CSM, than it is with food poisoning, some may accept CSM as a probable cause, with the possibility of both stomach flu and food poisoning ruled out.
