Food safety guide for people with HIV

Jet, Nov 8, 2004

Nothing spoils a delicious feast faster than a case of food poisoning. Illnesses like salmonella, campylobacter, listeria and cryptosporidium can lurk in seemingly safe-looking food and water and cause a nasty bout of diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, headache and muscle pain.

Each year, millions of people get sick from food poisoning and thousands die from it. And while food-borne illnesses are a threat to everyone, people with HIV or AIDS are at particular risk because of their weakened immune systems. Symptoms are usually worse and food-borne illnesses can lead to serious conditions like bloodstream infections and meningitis in people with HIV.

If you're living with AIDS or HIV, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer these tips to keep bad food from spoiling your health:

wash it off

Experts say that simple hand washing can prevent many cases of food poisoning. Wash hands at least 20 seconds with hot, soapy water before and after preparing food, especially raw meat and poultry. Also, carefully wash raw fruits and vegetables before you eat them, even if they have an outer peel like a banana.

cook it thoroughly

Meat, poultry and fish can make you seriously ill if they are raw or undercooked. If it's pink in the middle, then it's not done. If you use a meat thermometer, cook meat to 165 F; poultry to 170 F. Cook fish until it's flaky, not rubbery. Avoid raw or lightly steamed fish or shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, sushi), undercooked eggs and foods with raw eggs like hollandaise sauce, cookie dough or Caesar salad dressing. Cook eggs until the yolk and white a re solid, and only eat or drink pasteurized milk or dairy foods.

separate raw and cooked food

Cross contamination is another cause of food poisoning. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood separate from cooked foods and ready to eat items like fruit, vegetables and bread. Tightly seal raw meat in plastic wrap or storage bags to keep juices from leaking on other foods. Marinate raw items in the refrigerator and never reuse the marinade on cooked food. Use separate utensils, cutting boards and containers for raw and ready-to-eat food.

filter it

Check with your health department about the safety of your tap water for people with HIV. If you're unsure, drink bottled water, get a water filter or boil tap water to kill any germs. Also, carbonated beverages in cans and bottles like sodas are typically safe to drink. And never ever drink water straight from lakes, rivers, streams or springs.