According to a report by the U.S. CNN, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that an outbreak of Salmonella has recently occurred in nine Midwestern and Southern U.S. states, with nearly a hundred people infected. The cause of the "poisoning" was attributed to eating fresh tomatoes purchased from supermarkets or restaurants, as Salmonella was found in examinations of patients who had eaten tomatoes.
For us, eating raw tomatoes is a very common thing. Why do Salmonella appear in tomatoes, and can they cause large-scale "poisoning" incidents?
Director Zhao Lancai from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences explained that this may be related to the growth process of tomatoes. Factors such as insufficiently strong ultraviolet rays in the air, or the presence of Salmonella in the irrigation water or soil, could all be contributing factors. This allows Salmonella to contaminate the surface of the tomatoes. Coupled with many people's habit of eating raw tomatoes, if they are not cleaned thoroughly, Salmonella infection is entirely possible.
Chief Physician Xu Chunjun from the Disease Control Department of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine introduced that Salmonella infection is a common intestinal infectious disease in summer outpatient clinics. It is a type of bacterium in the Enterobacteriaceae family, a Gram-negative bacillus, and is a pathogenic bacterium. In layman's terms, when people eat contaminated food, Salmonella will multiply in the intestines.
After being infected with Salmonella, the main symptoms are: fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and other symptoms of enteritis. These usually appear 12 to 72 hours after being infected by the bacteria, and the course of the illness will last for 4 to 7 days. Many people can recover without treatment, but those with severe infections may experience symptoms of dehydration, so they should seek medical attention promptly. Children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at the highest risk of severe infection.
It's not just tomatoes; the same applies to other melons, fruits, and vegetables. They must be fresh and not spoiled. Be sure to wash them thoroughly before eating and use clean knives.
Raw tomatoes are best eaten after a meal to avoid stimulating the gastrointestinal tract on an empty stomach and to prevent them from combining with stomach acid to form indigestible substances that can cause discomfort. Additionally, tomatoes are considered cooling in nature and are not suitable for people with a weak spleen and stomach. Unripe green tomatoes contain solanine, and eating too much can be toxic, so unripe tomatoes should not be eaten.