Waterborne Food Poisoning: A New Concern Amid Climate Change

 Posted on August 13, 2016 in Food borne illness

Whether you believe in climate change or not, whether you believe climate change is due to human activity or not, the fact is this: There have been measurable changes to the planet's temperature in recent decades. These changes have led to multiple chain reactions, such as thinner ice sheets in the Arctic Ocean driving polar bears south and rising sea levels threatening human residences in coastal areas. Another effect of climate change is the increased number of waterborne food poisoning cases reported.

Raw oysters have been linked to foodborne illness more than other types of seafood, though illness has been linked to the consumption of multiple species. For comparison, in the late 1990s, an average of 390 lab-confirmed cases of waterborne food poisoning were reported in the United States each year. Today, that number is more than 1,000 each year. Food poisoning can be caused by many different types of bacteria, and each type of bacteria is linked to specific symptoms. If you become ill because of another party's failure to properly clean, store, transport, or prepare food, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for your damages.

Raw Oysters Can Cause Vibrio Illness

The type of food poisoning associated with the consumption of raw oysters is known as Vibrio. There are 12 types of vibrio bacteria that can cause illness in humans who eat contaminated raw or undercooked seafood or consume contaminated water. Even swimming in tainted water can cause an individual to become ill.

Symptoms of vibrio poisoning generally appear within 24 hours of consumption. These symptoms include the following:

• Watery or bloody diarrhea;
• Fatigue;
• Abdominal cramps;
• Nausea; and
• Headache.

In most cases, vibrio symptoms subside within a few days to one week. This is true of many other types of food poisoning as well. Treatment is generally only necessary if the symptoms do not subside within this period of time or if they become more severe, leading to new complications. An example of this is diarrhea depleting the body's fluid, causing the victim to become dehydrated and putting him or her at risk of organ damage. If the victim is a young child, a pregnant woman, an elderly individual, or any other party with a weakened immune system, he or she is at a greater risk of suffering complications than others.

Work with a Palatine Food Poisoning Attorney

If you or your child are suffering from complications caused by food poisoning that go beyond a few days' worth of discomfort, it is important that you or your child receive appropriate medical care as soon as possible. After receiving treatment, consider working with an experienced food poisoning attorney to pursue a personal injury claim if the food poisoning was due to another party's negligence. To learn more and begin working with a member of our team, set up your initial consultation with Newland & Newland, LLP today. We serve clients in the North Chicago, Fox Lake, Zion, Winthrop Harbor, Waukegan areas from our office located in Chicago.

(photo courtesy of Rupert Jefferies)