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Eating chilled watermelon is indeed refreshing, but you must pay attention to food safety issues. According to Chao News, a 60-year-old Ms. Cen (pseudonym) recently developed symptoms of high fever and gradually fell into a coma. She was finally sent to the ICU for treatment. Doctors found that she had eaten chilled watermelon that had been left for many days, and as a result, she had a very serious Listeria brain abscess.

After eating a few pieces of ice watermelon, he fell into a coma and was admitted to the ICU

Ms. Cen suffers from diabetes and other underlying diseases, and her physical condition is usually good. However, she developed a high fever for no apparent reason, with the highest temperature exceeding 40 degrees, and then she became dizzy and walked unsteadily. At first, Ms. Cen thought she had a common cold and fever. However, her condition quickly worsened, and her family sent her to a nearby hospital, but her condition was critical, so she was transferred to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital.

(Source: Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital)

When she was admitted to the hospital, Ms. Cen had a high fever, impaired eye movement, facial paralysis, and was in a coma. The doctor considered that the problem might be intracranial.

In order to find the pathogen, the hospital doctor conducted a series of examinations on the patient and found that Ms. Cen's brain was "invaded" by Listeria monocytogenes, and a brain abscess appeared. Generally, this bacteria often appears in the refrigerator. The doctor found out that Ms. Cen ate a few pieces of watermelon that had been in the refrigerator for several days a week before she became ill, and soon after she developed a series of serious symptoms.

Dr. Cai Xiaofeng of the hospital analyzed that these watermelons were probably contaminated by Listeria. After the watermelon was eaten, the bacteria passed through the mucous membrane of the patient's gastrointestinal tract to the lymph nodes, and then entered the central nervous system through the blood. The doctor said that under normal circumstances, Listeria monocytogenes central nervous system infection manifests as meningitis, which is characterized by involvement of the hindbrain. Brain abscesses are relatively rare.

In response to the condition, the doctor chose effective antibiotics for treatment. Through the joint efforts of multiple disciplines, Ms. Cen's body temperature was gradually controlled and her consciousness level slowly improved. She has now been transferred to the general ward.

It can survive for one year at -20℃

Although refrigeration and freezing conditions are not conducive to the growth of bacteria, some psychrophilic bacteria can continue to grow and reproduce in such an environment, such as Listeria. This is a bacterium that can survive in both oxygen and oxygen-free environments. It can only be killed in 5 minutes at a high temperature of 70°C, and can survive for 1 year at a low temperature of -20°C. The refrigeration temperature of household refrigerators is usually between 3 and 10°C, and the freezing temperature is between -4°C and -24°C. Therefore, Listeria often lurks in refrigerators, easily causing multiple food contaminations.

According to reports, Listeria is mainly transmitted through food and is widely distributed in nature. Meat, eggs, poultry, seafood, dairy products, vegetables, etc. may become sources of infection. People usually develop symptoms 3 to 7 days after infection. Healthy adults may experience mild flu-like symptoms. Susceptible people may experience sudden fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sepsis, meningitis, brain abscesses, etc.

We all have the experience of eating food directly from the refrigerator, so why did Ms. Cen become seriously ill?

After Listeria enters the human body, whether it causes illness is related to the number of bacteria and the age and immune status of the host. The bacteria is an intracellular parasite, and the host's elimination mainly depends on the cellular immune function. Therefore, the susceptible people are mostly newborns, pregnant women, adults over 40 years old, and people with immune deficiencies. Ms. Cen suffers from diabetes, and her body resistance is weaker than that of healthy people. In addition, the food she consumes is seriously contaminated by Listeria, so her symptoms are more serious. Despite this, young and strong people should not take Listeria lightly.

To prevent Listeria infection, pay attention to these four points

Summer is the peak season for Listeria infection. The susceptible groups are immunocompromised people, pregnant women, the elderly and newborns, and the mortality rate is as high as 20%-30%.

Dr. Guo Shunyuan, Director of the Department of Neurology at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, suggested that to prevent Listeria infection, pay attention to the following four points:

1. Stay away from high-risk foods: Avoid eating unpasteurized dairy products and foods that have been refrigerated for a long time, such as leftovers.

2. Heat food thoroughly: Make sure meat, seafood and other foods are thoroughly cooked before eating.

3. Pay attention to personal hygiene: wash your hands carefully, handle raw and cooked food separately to avoid cross contamination.

4. Clean the refrigerator regularly: Keep the inside of the refrigerator clean and regularly remove expired and spoiled food.

Jimu News Comprehensive Trend News, Metropolitan Express, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Wuhan Central Hospital Neurology Department WeChat Official Account

(Source: Jimu News)

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