The bad side of holiday feasting

It's time for holiday parties — Swedish meatballs, bite-size quiches and homemade eggnog. And if the host isn't careful, it's also a time for making guests sick.

PHIL SKINNER / COX NEWS SERVICE Emergency rooms get many patients in December who think they have the flu, when they actually are suffering food poisoning from improperly prepared food. Dr. Frank Rasler of DeKalb Medical Center in metro Atlanta, like many emergency room doctors, witnesses a jump in patients with flulike symptoms in December. But in many cases, the culprit in all that suffering is not a virus. It's food poisoning — stemming from something they've eaten, such as undercooked meat or potato salad or other holiday party foods left out for hours and hours, he says.

Body aches, fatigue, vomiting and fever are common symptoms for the flu and food poisoning, according to doctors.

"We see it every day, and often times, it's hard to tell the difference from the symptoms," he says. "I'll ask, 'Have you been to a holiday buffet?' ... Sometimes a whole family will get sick and it will be like a mini-epidemic, and I will ask, 'Where did you eat last night?' "

PHIL SKINNER / COX NEWS SERVICE Remember to cook meat thoroughly before serving: This pork should have an internal temperature of 160 degrees before serving. While people can get foodborne illnesses from get-togethers any time of year, holiday festivities can be breeding grounds for bacteria because food sometimes stays out on platters for several hours while partygoers snack and mingle.

Doctors say resting and drinking plenty of fluids (not just water but also sports drinks and other liquids to replenish potassium and sodium) are the keys to recovering from food poisoning, which can strike within two hours after leaving a party or be delayed for 24 hours.

Recovery should take place within a couple of days. Anyone who suspects serious dehydration or cannot keep liquids down for 24 hours should seek medical attention, doctors say.

THE FLU, OR SOMETHING YOU ATE?

The flu

• Common symptoms: body aches, headache, muscle aches, fever

• Less common: nausea

• Rare: diarrhea

Note: Nausea and diarrhea sometimes accompany the flu in children.

Food poisoning

• Common symptoms: body aches, headache, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea

• Less common: fever

• Rare: nasal congestion, sore throat

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DeKalb Medical, MayoClinic.com

TIPS FOR PREPARING, SERVING PARTY FOOD

• Safe food handling: Always wash your hands before and after handling food. Always serve food on clean plates — not those previously holding raw meat or poultry.

• Cook meat thoroughly: Beef should be reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Pork should reach 160 degrees. And poultry should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees.

• The two-hour rule: Foods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep track of how long foods have been sitting out, and discard anything left out for two hours or more.

• Keep hot foods hot; cold foods cold: Hot foods should be held at 140 degrees or warmer (you can use chafing dishes or slow cookers or warming trays). Cold foods should be held at 40 degrees or colder (you can nest dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving bowls and replace them).

Source: USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION

• Frequent episodes of vomiting for more than two days

• Vomiting blood

• Inability to keep liquids down for 24 hours

• Severe diarrhea for more than three days

• Blood in bowel movements

• Extreme pain or severe abdominal cramping

• A fever of 101.5 or higher

• Signs or symptoms of dehydration (excessive thirst, dry mouth, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness)

Source: Mayoclinic.com