Salmonella Poisoning!!

rosie&sam wrote:only well done grilled food & baked potato, thats it for me. not even bread, they touch it. never drink water from a glass, they touch it, never ice, its in bacteria filled freezer. the rule applies everywhere. dont care if its $400 usd for 2, dont care if its fourseasons. no one touches my food. i bring my own water. leave as fast as i can if in this area, as they sweep floors wash floors when you are there. gross. my dr. agrees!

What a way to live one's life.

I was thinking the same thing, Binky.

binky wrote:

rosie&sam wrote:only well done grilled food & baked potato, thats it for me. not even bread, they touch it. never drink water from a glass, they touch it, never ice, its in bacteria filled freezer. the rule applies everywhere. dont care if its $400 usd for 2, dont care if its fourseasons. no one touches my food. i bring my own water. leave as fast as i can if in this area, as they sweep floors wash floors when you are there. gross. my dr. agrees!

What a way to live one's life.

WHAT LIFE???

rosie&sam wrote:only well done grilled food & baked potato, thats it for me. not even bread, they touch it. never drink water from a glass, they touch it, never ice, its in bacteria filled freezer. the rule applies everywhere. dont care if its $400 usd for 2, dont care if its fourseasons. no one touches my food. i bring my own water. leave as fast as i can if in this area, as they sweep floors wash floors when you are there. gross. my dr. agrees!

What a freak.

Seems to me that this instance of food poisoning (possible salmonella) is being treated like it is something unique to Mexico. Outbreaks of salmonella and other types of food poisoning are constantly happening all over the world. Take a look at the current list from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/default.htm
The largest one getting all of the current press involves Sunland Farms, the country's (US) largest organic peanut processing plant who produces private label product for the likes of Trader Joes, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, etc:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57535926/nm-peanut-company-at-heart-of-recall-eyes-return-to-production/

There is certainly no "one size fits all guideline" that each and every person should abide by! It is my personal theory that those of us who choose to go overboard in attempting to watch for each and every possible bug or germ do not allow the body to build up natural immunities.

johninajijic wrote:

Good street vendors! Joke of the year. I'll stick with my Doctor's advice.

We only eat at the safest restaurants in Ajijic and even then it's possible to get sick.

John,there is plenty of great street food in Mexico,your problem is that most of them don't have English speaking employees and you couldn't order a taco in Spanish if your life depended on it,even after having lived here 11 years,que menso eres.

And that is the same reason he wouldn't go off the cruise ship to eat in Italy. The Italian heritage failed him since he didn't know how to order Chef Boyardee in Italian!
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Ok Bob, I really hadn't thought of that. I didn't mean to cause any trouble for the board here, I was just thinking that people should be aware of how sick we became.
Another point...............we had been purchasing cooked baked beans from the same place .............never a problem. But the last time, the guy in the kitchen when putting the beans in the container actually smelled them before putting the lid on. We passed! Yuck

Guiness wrote:Ok Bob, I really hadn't thought of that. I didn't mean to cause any trouble for the board here, I was just thinking that people should be aware of how sick we became.
Another point...............we had been purchasing cooked baked beans from the same place .............never a problem. But the last time, the guy in the kitchen when putting the beans in the container actually smelled them before putting the lid on. We passed! Yuck

Guiness, I think you made your point.....I ate breakfast there once....sausage and eggs....one of the sausage links was still frozen inside.....have never been back......really sorry about your health issue, but it can happen anywhere. Something as simple as bad MAYO. One trip To Agua Milpa, my buddy and I got sick.....he was the unlucky one....both ends...bad deal with only one bathroom.... Point is I am careful, take our own food and condis. I wasn't paying attention, and Irma used her refrigerated Mayo, rather mine...unopened. Hers had been left from another trip, and probably been left on the counter in 100 degree plus heat off and on for many days.......point is this kind of thing happens.

I know everyone on this board feels your pain.....similar has happened to many of us....time to move on, and you have made your point!

The only places I wouldn't eat salads or raw fruits and veggies are tourist hang-outs. Resorts and tourist destinations don't care if you come back. Local restaurants rely on repeat business and don't want loyal customers getting sick.

rosie&sam wrote:johns right. i told my doctor here (mexican) that i bought cooked beans. he made a shocked face, said never do this again. as the bacteria contributed to throat infections & ecoli. for the name of the resturant, i would be surprised if anyone would spend 3cents on a lawsuit. but the name IS available, PM the poster. as for samonella, there are different strains. not all require medication, some clear up in 2 days. how can anyone eat raw salad anywhere? even 5 star? even vegatables.

We eat raw salad anywhere. No problems.
Been sick once in five years. Eat anything
anywhere. Different strokes for different folks.

Z

Zedinmexico wrote:

rosie&sam wrote:johns right. i told my doctor here (mexican) that i bought cooked beans. he made a shocked face, said never do this again. as the bacteria contributed to throat infections & ecoli. for the name of the resturant, i would be surprised if anyone would spend 3cents on a lawsuit. but the name IS available, PM the poster. as for samonella, there are different strains. not all require medication, some clear up in 2 days. how can anyone eat raw salad anywhere? even 5 star? even vegatables.

We eat raw salad anywhere. No problems.
Been sick once in five years. Eat anything
anywhere. Different strokes for different folks.

Z

It depends on each persons immune system and how long they have lived here. For the first few years that we lived here, I used to get amoebas or parasites every 6 months faithfully. I stopped eating salads in restaurants. After a long while, I will eat salads at Manix or Rick's, but that's all. Never been sick in about 9 years.

But, I do NOT recommend newbies come here and eat salads in restaurants, unless they want to get sick and spend money on Dr's visits, stool samples and medication that will total 800 - 1000 pesos..

salades are no different anywhere! a kitchen is a kitchen, it is not yours & not your hands on the food. johns right about immune systems. some people are sensitive, others are, well insensitive. soon this thread will be about "mexico"- supporting businesses- speaking spanish- being a good guest. dont forget the subject was bacteria. btw, the only time i have gotton sick was w/raw food. also in my own home from not boiling the brocolli long enough. (several times).

johninajijic wrote:

Zedinmexico wrote:

rosie&sam wrote:johns right. i told my doctor here (mexican) that i bought cooked beans. he made a shocked face, said never do this again. as the bacteria contributed to throat infections & ecoli. for the name of the resturant, i would be surprised if anyone would spend 3cents on a lawsuit. but the name IS available, PM the poster. as for samonella, there are different strains. not all require medication, some clear up in 2 days. how can anyone eat raw salad anywhere? even 5 star? even vegatables.

We eat raw salad anywhere. No problems.
Been sick once in five years. Eat anything
anywhere. Different strokes for different folks.

Z

It depends on each persons immune system and how long they have lived here. For the first few years that we lived here, I used to get amoebas or parasites every 6 months faithfully. I stopped eating salads in restaurants. After a long while, I will eat salads at Manix or Rick's, but that's all. Never been sick in about 9 years.

But, I do NOT recommend newbies come here and eat salads in restaurants, unless they want to get sick and spend money on Dr's visits, stool samples and medication that will total 800 - 1000 pesos..

Sorry John but you don't develop immunity to amoebas or parasites according to Dr. Garcia
whom I trust on this subject. You can get them five minutes after you have been cured. I
got quite a lecture on it LOL. I also have no doubt that one can have them and not be sick
or get sick. Bodies are wierd and different but you don't get immunity from these like you do
if you survive small pox for example.

Z

and locals get sick as well... I know that for a fact, it is a fallacy to think locals have been an immunity to parasites.
When you visit the Maya medecine museum in Chiapas you can also see that most of the herbal remedies are for salmonella, tommy aches, all kinds of digestive problems so obviously they are not immune to them either. They do not seem to be immune to salmonella either.

If after the first bite it tastes bad, it probably is and don´t eat it, better to lose 80 or 120 pesos on a dish not eaten than face worse consequences and be sick

The use of the word or words, immune or immunity were probably poorly chosen by myself and others. I don't think anyone will dispute that each one of us may have a differing tolerance for certain amoebas or parasites and our bodies may react differently when exposed. Let's take the Dawg as an example: it has been drilled into all of our feeble brains that he has extensive dining experience in Africa, parts of Asia and probably worst of all, Alabama. One would hardly equate this with leading a sheltered germ free life. As his lovely wife pointed out, he recently tested positive for salmonella but without symptoms. So are we really seeing a tolerance and not an immunity?

Now, now, Neil. For a parochial, redneck New mexican to deride Alabama food is the height of ignorance. Reach into your pocket and extract those two cents you will have accumulated over the years and use that to add value to your limited intellect by seeking places to negotiate your new-found wealth.

Dawg has a number of recipes from Africa, India, the Middle East, Alabama and such places from which you could benefit but you might have to go out and find a pan and then learn how to use it.

A little info on parasites. To my knowledge you cannot develop an immunity, however can take steps to maintain a hostile environment. Perhaps probiotics would help. In the mouth, keeping bacteria to an absolute minimum is essential.
According to some studies, 50% of the population do have intestinal parasites, many of them are totally asymptomatic.
Testing methods here and elsewhere are totally inadequate. One MUST take a stool sample directly to the laboratory less than 2 hours after evacuating, because the amoebae will die in oxygen within 20 minutes of exposure. The only other method is to suspend the sample in a preserving liquid. I have never seen this available either here or in Canada, although things may have changed.

"PAROCHIAL" thats the best word to use for neil.

E-Raq
I believe you are right. My husband is asymptomatic for a while and then really gets it wether it is amoebas or salmonella. I always get sicker sooner than he does but he gets it without fail as well just later than I do.

I read somewhere in the paper while I was in Chiapas that most indigenous had an average of 7 types of parasites in their system. Some of them get blind from the water they drink and many get sick and from various parasites , virus and bacterias . Many of them are also lactose intolerant according to my Tsotsil teacher.
Many of the locals get sick every April just like we do but our ailments last longer and we get it worst . When it is the season..we all get sick eventually mostly from repiratory problems and air born e-coli.

Brigitte, you get it faster than him because you're half his body size.

I like that reason!

Could it have anything to do with Herradura Blanco consumption?

That probably helps too...