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How To Avoid Food Poisoning?

Posted on Wed, 19 Feb 2014

Question: I live on the oregon coast. Friday evening we drove two hours to pick up my niece and nephew. we had a great time. spent the evening playing and having fun. same with next day. we met their parents. at 430 pm and dropped them off. about two hors later I get a phone call from my brother. the little girl is throwing up. she threw up 5 times before 8. then my brother was sick all night. how likely are we to catch it. I am severely emetophobic and I'm really baving bad anxiety over this

Answered by Dr. Ashish Verma (43 minutes later)

Brief Answer: its unlikely that you will catch it. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for writing to XXXXXXX This is Dr. Ashish Verma, a general surgeon, answering to your query. Looks like your neice and nephew had got a sort of food poisoning from something that you all had eaten. But as you have not got sick even afer one day...its very much unlikely that you will get sick now. Peoples immunity differs among persons and children usually have on the lower side. So dont worry...you are fine and healthy... but in future, be careful of where and what you eat...eat hygenic... Hope that i have answered to all your queries. If you have further queries, i will be glad to answer them. Regards, Dr. Ashish Verma

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E

Follow up: Dr. Ashish Verma (6 hours later)

it wasn't food poisoning. we had my niece and nephew. for 24 hrs. she got sick when she got back to herhouse. and then y brother. who was nowhere near us or her during those 24 hours. started getting sick in the night after she was. the kids mom and my nephew were fine. if this is a stomach bug. can we get it if we were not aaround her when she vomited. can we get it from things she touched when she wasn't showing symptoms? also. if we start probiotics can we reduce our chances of getting virus

Answered by Dr. Ashish Verma (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: i can be a viral infection even Detailed Answer: Hi, Sorry for the confusion. Maybe your brother has got viral infection which got to your niece...viral infection spread by being in close contact... but viral causes more of fever...stomoch bug dosent spread by contact...stomach infection causes more of vomiting and diarrhea... also there is possibility that both of them got infection from a different source....you be careful for a few days... probiotic will help in case of stomach bug infection prevention... Regards, Dr. Ashish Verma

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Ashish Verma (5 hours later)

aren't most stomach viruses transmitted by fecal or vomit particles. so if she was sick after we dropped her off and not while he was with us that the chance of us getting it is fairly slim?

Answered by Dr. Ashish Verma (55 minutes later)

Brief Answer: yes you are right Detailed Answer: Hi, Yes, the viruses are transmitted by infected body secretions... so you are not at risk...also its now two days and you are still healthy...so you can stop worrying... Hope that I have answered all your queries. If you have no further queries, you can close this discussion and rate the response. Regards Dr. Ashish Verma

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E