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Food Poisoning
Also Called Foodborne Illness
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Approximately 76 million individuals each year get a foodborne illness due to contaminated food in the US. This amounts to one in four individuals. Food poisoning can be caused by bacteria, parasites and viruses. The symptoms can be very mild or serious, leading to death. Five thousand people die each year from some type of food poisoning. The most common cause of food poisoning includes pathogenic bacteria, followed by viruses and parasites. Parasitic foodborne illnesses are more common in tropical areas and in developing countries.
Symptoms of a foodborne illness include having an upset stomach, being nauseated and having vomiting, fever, dehydration, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.
Food poisoning can come from raw meat that becomes contaminated during slaughter. It can come from fruits and vegetables that are not washed before eating. Any food you leave out for more than two hours can become contaminated by one or more foodborne bacteria. Common bacteria and other pathogens that cause food poisoning include E. coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, Norovirus and Campylobacter.
Campylobacter was first identified as a cause of foodborne illness in 1975. It causes bloody diarrhea, pain in the abdomen, fever, malaise, vomiting and nausea. The disease can lead to Guillain-Barre disease and permanent paralysis. There are an estimated 2 million cases in the US per year. It is most commonly found in tainted chicken but can be found in otherwise healthy animals used for eating. Even dogs or cats can carry the bacteria in their intestinal tract. It is the most common pathogen found in raw milk. Sixty three percent of all chicken found in a grocery store is contaminated with Campylobacter.
Many serotypes of E. coli have the potential to cause disease in foodborne illnesses. E. coli is found in all individuals, harbored in their gastrointestinal tract. E. coli O147:H7 was first identified as a foodborne bacterium in 1982. At that time, researchers were investigating an outbreak of bloody diarrhea in those who ate contaminated hamburger meat. It causes bloody diarrhea and other symptoms of foodborne illnesses. It contains the dangerous Shiga toxin, also known as Stx. Disease can come from hamburger or any other food that has become contaminated by cattle manure. You can get the condition from other meats, unpasteurized milk, cheese that is not pasteurized, unpasteurized apple juice, and vegetables of many types.
Hepatitis A is a common viral illness that is passed through contaminated food to people. It is the only foodborne illness that is able to be prevented via a vaccine. It can cause the usual foodborne symptoms but also results in liver inflammation that can progress to jaundice, liver failure and death. It is relatively common in countries that have poor sanitation systems and can be passed via water or food. It is estimated, however, that a third of the US population has had a Hepatitis A infection sometime in the past or present. The overall rates of hepatitis A have dropped over the past decade but remain high in American Indians and Hispanics. The disease is transmitted from person to person via the fecal-oral route. Routine hand washing is considered the best defense against hepatitis A. The person handling the food tends to be asymptomatic at the time they pass the virus onto others through unwashed hands and handling food.
Listeriosis is a serious foodborne illness caused by a particular bacterium known as Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria can be passed to an individual in food contaminated by soil or water containing the Listeria bacteria. It can be passed through eating fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy products. It can be passed via eating unpasteurized food like ready to eat meats, cold cuts and other deli products. Babies can get Listeriosis by transplacental contact in pregnant mothers who develop Listeriosis. Such an infection can cause miscarriage, preterm birth and health problems in the neonate
The mortality rate from Listeriosis is between 4 and 10 percent. The seasonal peak for Listeriosis is from July through October. Infant mortality rate is between 25 and 50 percent. Those most susceptible to Listeria infections are those who have a decreased immune function and infants. Pregnant women have a 20 times rate of getting Listeriosis.