Review the components and functions of the digestive system in the Case Study Workbook.  Answer all points as stated in the objectives.

 

On a Friday afternoon in June of 1998, 65 individuals attended a farewell party for an employee of a local company. The ages of the people attending ranged from 4 to 78 years of age.  The event was held in a nearby city park and food was provided by a local catering company.  Festivities were planned to occur most of the afternoon and the food was brought to the party by the caterers at approximately 12:30 p.m., and placed on a long table near the picnic area.  A canopy was erected over the serving table.  Once set up, the caterers left the area and people were instructed to eat whenever they were hungry.
____________________________________________ 

Within 20-24 hours after the food had been served, several people began to experience vomiting and diarrhea with moderate to severe abdominal cramps, headache and muscle aches.  Some of the elderly patients experienced some typical symptoms of dehydration, such as thirst and dryness of the mucus membranes. Some were taken to the hospital emergency room by family members since their symptoms  appeared after most clinic facilities were closed for the business day. By the next morning, over two dozen additional individuals called their health care providers or family physicians complaining of symptoms of malaise, vomiting, diarrhea and  headaches. Three older patients were admitted to the hospital to limit the dehydration from the vomiting and diarrhea. 

1.  What symptoms are several party attendees exhibiting?

Instructor's Notes:

As we can see from this initial information, these multiple patients all complaining from similar symptoms that strongly suggests a classical case of community-acquired food poisoning. Based on this, several series of events will occur: First, the patients will be treated for their symptoms and tested for agents of food poisoning. Second, the State and/or County Health Departments will need to investigate to determine the source of the poisoning. Since the food was prepared by a licensed commercial agency, public health personnel will need to see that corrective actions are taken if necessary. As an introduction to the nature of how bacteria cause food borne illness, please review normal flora, bacterial toxins  and bacterial food poisoning in the case study workbook.  Be able to answer all points as stated in the objectives.