Woman gets brain infection after eating refrigerated watermelon

A 38-year-old woman in Shaanxi Province, China, was taken to the hospital for treatment after eating frozen watermelon left overnight at home. The treating doctor said: "After eating frozen watermelon in the refrigerator, the patient felt body aches, then fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and confusion. All were caused by Listeria bacteria causing intracranial infection."

According to Xiaoxiang Morning News, the doctor said that fortunately the woman was transferred to the general ward after being treated. The doctor also said that summer is very susceptible to Listeria infections, all due to eating opened food, fruit, milk... in the refrigerator.



The doctor said that the low temperature of the refrigerator can make some bacteria in food inactive, but there are also some bacteria that like to survive in this low temperature environment. The four most common bacteria in the refrigerator are Salmonella, Yersinia, Shigella and Listeria.

Listeria is a cold-resistant bacteria. The refrigerator is not a safe place. It can grow and reproduce even in cold environments of 0 to 4 degrees Celsius. Meat, dairy products, fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods can become breeding grounds for bacteria if not stored properly.



The doctor also said: "We also remind everyone that if you do not finish eating the food, reheat it before eating. Do not think that because it is hot in the summer, you can just reheat it and eat it. This will ignore the risk of bacterial contamination. For fruits such as watermelon, it is best to cut it and eat it right away. If you do not finish cutting the watermelon at once, you should wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator, but remember to pay attention to the storage time."

Through the above sharing, everyone needs to pay special attention to storing watermelon in the refrigerator to avoid bacterial contamination:

+ If left at room temperature, it should not exceed 4 hours



Not only watermelon but for all fruits, it is better to eat immediately after cutting. Because normal temperature is the ideal environment for bacteria to grow. If you do not eat it all, you should store it in the refrigerator, and wash the peel to avoid bacteria from entering from the peel. Wrap it tightly or put it in a box with a tight lid. Do not leave it in the refrigerator for too long.

+ If kept in the refrigerator, watermelon should not be left for more than 24 hours

Do not think that just putting it in the refrigerator will be absolutely safe. Because in fact, the refrigerator only slows down the growth of bacteria, and some bacteria that are not afraid of the cold can still penetrate.

Another important thing is that the refrigerator must be cleaned. Do not put too many things that affect the cooling. At the same time, all items must be washed before being put in the refrigerator to avoid bringing bacteria into the refrigerator. When storing cooked food, wrap it or put it in a sealed container.