Question

Antibiotic used to treat food poisoning is:
(A)Ciprofloxacin
(B)Rifaximin
(C)Rifampicin
(D)Both A and B

Answer 1

Antibiotic is an antimicrobial substance which is active against bacteria. It is used to treat various bacterial infections. They act either by killing the microbe or inhibiting their growth. They are also given to the person with weak immunity usually after surgery, to prevent any kind of bacterial infection.

Complete answer: Food poisoning is an illness caused due to eating of contaminated food. The contamination can be bacterial, viral or parasitic or toxin-mediated. It is commonly caused by eating food from roadside vendors providing unhygienic food materials. Bacterias are the most common cause of food poisoning, which includes bacterias like E.coli, Listeria and Salmonella.

Symptoms include Fever, Abdominal pain, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Headache. The incubation period may vary person from person depending on the type of infection. The time of appearance of symptoms can range from 1 hour to 28 days.

Treatment of food poisoning includes the use of antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin, Azithromycin, Levofloxacin, Cotrimoxazole and many more.

Rifaximin is another antibiotic which is approved for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, traveller’s diarrhoea (E.coli associated food poisoning), infectious diarrhoea.

So, the correct answer is Option (D) Both A and B

Rifampicin is an antibiotic that is used to prevent and treat tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium. They are also used in the treatment of Leprosy, Legionnaires disease.

Note: Ciprofloxacin belongs to the fluoroquinolones class of antibiotic. There can be side effects associated with antibiotics which include rash, stomach upset, dizziness. Rifaximin may rarely cause an intestinal condition called Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea. Contact the doctor in case of any serious side effects.