Foodborne illness

Hoffmann, S., Fischbeck, P., Krupnick, A., and McWilliams, M. (2007). Using expert elicitation to link foodborne illnesses in the United States to foods. J. Food Prot. 70,1220-1229. 

Each year in the United States, approximately 76 million food-borne illnesses occur, leading to 325,000 hospitalizations and over 5000 deaths.40 A number of bacterial and viral pathogens that have been discussed previously in this chapter (e.g., Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and noroviruses) can cause food poisoning. Other bacteria that can cause foodborne illness include Staphylococcus aureus, C. perfringens, C. botu-linum, and Bacillus cereus (Table 73-5). Food poisoning should be suspected if at least two individuals present with similar symptoms after the ingestion of a common food in the prior 72 hours. 

Woteki, C E and Kineman, B D (2003) Challenges and approaches to reducing foodborne illness , Annual Review of Nutrition, 23, 315-344. 

The reported number of cases of bacterial foodborne poisonings (BFBP) and the deaths they cause worldwide is enormous, both in developing and industrialized countries. In the U.S. alone, each year 76 million foodborne illnesses are reported and 325,000 patients are hospitalized, of which 5000 die. The etiological agent is identified only in 18% of cases, the rest remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed (Mead et al., 1999). 

The outbreak of Salmonella foodborne illness in Illinois in April 1985 was attributed to a tetracycline-resistant strain of Salmonella typhimurium. It evidently had no connection with feeding antibiotics in livestock. The resistant strain was of lower virulence than the average sensitive strain. 

Salmonella are a frequent cause of foodborne illness, commonly termed "food poisoning," going back long before the use of antibiotics. Salmonellosis is of unusual interest and importance to inhabitants of Chicago because of the outbreak starting in March of 1985, caused by a resistant strain of Salmonella typhimurium. 

Leask, A., Yankos, P., and Ferson, M. J. (2004). Fish, so foul Foodborne illness caused by combined fish histamine and wax ester poisoning. Commun. Dis. lntell. 28, 83-85. 

Abstract Foodborne illness outbreaks linked to fresh produce are becoming... 

There has been a rapid rise in foodborne illness outbreaks linked to fresh produce (Fig. 4.1). The pathogens of main concern are Salmonella and E. coli 0157 H7 although, in principle, a diverse range of pathogenic microbes can contaminate fresh produce at any point in the chain. 

There has been several high profile foodborne illness outbreaks associated with fresh produce with sprouted seeds, tomatoes, and leafy greens remaining the most prominent (Table 4.1) (Doyle and Erickson, 2008). The underlying reasons for why specific produce types have been implicated in the majority of outbreaks can, in part, be explained by the market volume... 

FIGURE 4.1 Foodborne illness outbreaks linked to fresh produce from 1990 to 2006. Source Centre for Science in the Public Interest (2008). 

Naimi, T. S., Wicklund, J. H., Olsen, S. J., Krause, G., Wells, J. G., Bartkus, J. M., Boxrud, D. J., Sullivan, M., Kassenborg, H., Besser, J. M., Mintz, E. D., Osterholm, M. T., et al. (2003). Concurrent outbreaks of Shigella sonnei and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections associated with parsley Implications for surveillance and control of foodborne illness. J. Food Prot. 66,535-541. 

Sivapalasingam, S., Friedman, C. R., Cohen, L., and Tauxe, R. V. (2004). Fresh produce A growing cause of outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States, 1973 through 1997. J. Food Prot. 67, 2342-2353. 

Cultured dairy foods seldom cause foodborne illness in the consumer. If an active starter culture is used, common foodborne pathogens, even if present in the milk, do not grow well and often are inactivated during the fermentation or early during the storage life of the product. Even if some cultured products are recontaminated after manufacture, pathogens generally do not survive well. Several examples will illustrate these points. 

Kornacki, J. L. and Marth, E. H. 1982B. Foodborne illness caused by Escherichia coli A review. J. Food Prot. 45, 1051-1067. 

Rapid environmental assessment is introduced as a methodology for data collection in postimpact communities. Individuals affected by disasters must have their basic physiologic needs met in a timely manner for survival. A framework for establishing public health priorities and minimum standards for water, food, sanitation and solid waste removal, shelter, and vector control is proposed. Response to public health emergencies such as outbreaks of foodborne illness is presented. The role of the public health nurse in the... 

Foodborne illnesses are defined as diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food. Every person is at risk of foodborne illness. Foodborne illness is usually classified in one of three ways food infections, food poisoning, or chemical poisoning (Merrill Timm-reck, 2006). 

Emergence of Foodborne Illness. New foodborne disease threats occur for a number of reasons. These include disaster conditions, an increase in international travel and trade, microbial adaptation, and changes in the food production system, as well as human demographics and behavior (such as complex emergencies). 

Investigation of a foodborne illness requires interviews, if possible, of all persons (ill and well) who were present at the time of the ingestion of suspect foods. Merrill and Timmreck (2006) describe those factors necessary to a good investigation as follows ... 

Identify the spectrum of foodborne illness. What is happening to the worldwide incidence of foodborne illness Why ... 

What are some of the major microorganisms that cause foodborne illness ... 

World Health Organization. (2002b). Fact Sheet. Food Safety and Foodborne Illness. Retrieved March 11, 2007 from http // www.who.int/inf-fs/en/fact237.html... 

Botulism is a neuroparalytic, primarily foodborne illness first described in 1897 (GDC, 1998). The disease is caused by a toxin produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Although botulism is rare, it can kill rapidly and foodborne botulism is a public health emergency carrying significant risk for widespread disease and death, as potentially preventable deaths may occur if the source of botulism is not discovered and eliminated. There are classically four major types of botulism foodborne botulism, infantile botulism, wound botulism, and intestinal botulism. 

Table 11.1 Foodstuff Commonly Associated with Foodborne Illness Outbreaks...

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