foodborne illnesses

 Do you know that foodborne illnesses are caused by consuming contaminated foods or beverages?

 We have many different disease causing microbes or pathogens that can contaminate foods. Most of this are infections caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites. Other diseases are poisonings caused by harmful toxins or chemicals that have contaminated food.

 Food which has become contaminated with harmful bacteria does not always taste bad. Most of the time it looks, smells and tastes like it normally does. So.. Beware what food you like to eat.

The most commonly contaminated foods are raw meat (including chicken), raw or undercooked eggs, and unpasteurized milk. Fortunately, salmonella are killed when the food is cooked thoroughly. 

Foods Associated with Foodborne Illness

Raw foods of animal origin, that is, raw meat and poultry, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, and raw shellfish are the most likely to be contaminated.

Fruits and vegetables can also be contaminated with animal waste when manure is used to fertilize produce in the field, or unclean water is used for washing the produce.

Raw sprouts are particularly concerning because the conditions under which they are sprouted are ideal for growing microbes.

Unpasteurized fruit juices or cider can also be contaminated if there are pathogens on the fruit that is used to make it.

Any food item that is touched by a person who is ill with vomiting or diarrhea, or who has recently had such an illness, can become contaminated. When these food items are not subsequently cooked (e.g., salads, cut fruit) they can pass the illness to other people.

Commonsymptoms of foodborne illness are diarrhea and/or vomiting, typically lasting 1 to 7 days. Other symptoms might include abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, joint/back aches, and fatigue.

What some people call the “stomach flu” may actually be a foodborne illness caused by a pathogen (i.e., virus, bacteria, or parasite) in contaminated food or drink.

Theincubation period (the time between exposure to the pathogen and onset of symptoms) can range from several hours to 1 week.

The top five germs that cause illnesses from food eaten in the United States are:

Norovirus- is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. People of all ages can get infected and sick with norovirus. Norovirus spreads easily! People with norovirus illness can shed billions of norovirus particles. And only a few virus particles can make other people sick.

Salmonella- Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two species of Salmonella are Salmonella enterica and Salmonella bongori. S. enterica is the type species and is further divided into six subspecies that include over 2,600 serotypes.

Clostridium perfringens- Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is a spore-forming gram-positive bacterium that is found in many environmental sources as well as in the intestines of humans and animals. C. perfringens is commonly found on raw meat and poultry.

Campylobacter- is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. Campylobacter typically appear comma- or s-shaped, and are motile. Some Campylobacter species can infect humans, sometimes causing campylobacteriosis, a diarrhoeal disease in humans. 

 Staphylococcus aureus-  is a Gram-positive, round-shaped bacterium that is a member of the Firmicutes, and it is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin.

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