Gastrointestinal Symptoms Such as Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain, and Vomiting Caused by Consumption of Contaminated Water or Food
Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 11th that it is fully committed to preventing and promoting awareness of waterborne and foodborne infectious diseases and food poisoning by operating a 24-hour emergency quarantine system to monitor outbreaks, running a community infectious disease monitoring network, establishing cooperative systems with medical and related institutions, and providing education and publicity on prevention.
Waterborne and foodborne infectious diseases refer to illnesses that mainly cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting due to the consumption of water or food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.
Representative examples include cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, bacillary dysentery, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection, Vibrio sepsis, and norovirus.
In particular, the summer season (May to September) is a very important period for the prevention and management of waterborne and foodborne infectious diseases and food poisoning, as the hot and humid weather creates an environment in which pathogens can easily proliferate.
To prevent waterborne and foodborne infectious diseases, it is important to follow preventive guidelines such as: ▲washing hands properly for at least 30 seconds ▲thoroughly washing vegetables and fruits under running water ▲cooking food thoroughly ▲drinking boiled water ▲not preparing or handling food if experiencing diarrhea ▲using separate knives and cutting boards for different foods to maintain hygiene.
In addition, the importance of adhering to food poisoning prevention guidelines during outdoor activities and domestic or international travel is emphasized: ▲eat cooked food promptly ▲strictly manage the storage temperature of cooked food ▲use sanitary gloves and cooking utensils when serving food ▲discard any leftover food.
A public health center official urged, "Please practice infection prevention measures such as safe food consumption and hand washing, and in the event of a group occurrence (two or more people) of symptomatic cases such as diarrhea or vomiting, report it to the public health center immediately for a prompt response."
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