What Is Wrong?

[silka]

I have had terrible diarrhea , stomach pain and headache and slept a lot since teatime Saturday, seems to be clearing up this morning, never felt so ill, I had some chicken Saturday, early lunch time, could it be food poisoning ?

[silka]

oh dear NOT cleared up yet

[Khandro]

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/salmonella.htm

[Sqad]

Could be the chicken.....could be migraine.

[sandyRoe]

I never knew migraine could give one diarrohea ;-)

[silka]

It is not migraine

[Sqad]

OK.

[boxtops]

Yes sandy, I speak from experience, both D and V... :-(

[Robinia]

I felt lousy yesterday, mild headache, mildly upset tum...I put it down to the weather or a bug. If you're feeling better and no one else suffered after the chicken yours is probably the same. Drink plenty of fluid, I think you'll live :)

[silka]

Only I had the chicken, but my friend said there is a bug/virus going round, of course I will live, I am drinking plenty of water

[ludwig]

I was reading an article in the Times yesterday about how 70% of supermarket chicken is infected with this thing called camphylobacter.

This BBC article that I've just googled seems to confirm it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21029389

It's fine if cooked properly, but you have to be really careful about handling the raw meat and how you deal with the packaging etc.

[silka]

Thank you Ludwig I wondered if it was campylobacter

[Sqad]

ludwig....I think that you have got it wrong......

70% of cases of diarrhea are due to campylobacter NOT 70% of supermarket chickens are infected with campylobacter.

[matty37]

My niece had similar symptons with violent stomach pains and was rushed to hospital fearing appendicitis - it turned out to be a bug. Woud however recomment you get a food thermometer and make sure everything reads a minimum of 70 - fish chicken pies etc. well worth it

[ludwig]

// ludwig....I think that you have got it wrong......

70% of cases of diarrhea are due to campylobacter NOT 70% of supermarket chickens are infected with campylobacter. //

sqad - I was relating the Sunday Times article from memory, so it's not quite right, but I've found it, and here are some edited highlights (I'd like to post a link but I don't think it's online).

// Half a million people a year are getting food poisoning as a result of eating contaminated British chickens according to research published by the food standards agency, which lays much of the blame on poor standards of hygiene in abattoirs and poultry farms.
The epidemic, which is claiming 140 lives a year .... is being caused by Camphylobacter.........at least 80% of British chicken flocks are infected with the bug....//

// Most fresh British chickens sold in shops are contaminated, with 27% classed by the FSA as "Highly contaminated" //

// A recent study by Professor Gordon Nichols, of the European Centre for Disease Prevention in Stockholm found 500,000 Britons get Camphylobacter poisoning each year, 80% from chicken. //

// Victims typically suffer days of uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhoea and can take weeks to recover //

// The microbe is destroyed by proper cooking, so the risk to consumers comes from undercooked meat and contact with packaging //