U.S. Food Safety: Foodborne Illnesses a Menu for Disaster

[Guest guest]

U.S. Food Safety: Foodborne Illnesses a Menu for Disaster

By Gardner, HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Foodborne illness can strike at

any time and be caused by any number of different pathogens. Here is a

rundown of the most common bacterial offenders, and what you can do to

protect yourself:

E. COLI 0157:H7

There are many strains of the bacteria known as Escherichia coli, or

E. coli. Most are harmless, four or five can cause disease, and one,

in particular, can be fatal.

E. Coli 0157:H7 has been implicated in several deadly outbreaks. The

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 73,000

infections and 61 deaths are attributable to E. coli 0157:H7 each year

in the United States, not as much as other pathogens, but infinitely

more high-profile.

" E. coli 0157:H7 is the media star, but it's actually not that many

cases per year, " said Helene s-Polymenis, an assistant professor

of microbial and molecular pathogenesis at Texas A & M Health Science

Center College of Medicine.

Most human infections result from eating uncooked ground beef (cattle

carry the pathogen in their intestines without getting sick). It can

also be acquired from consuming contaminated dairy products,

vegetables, unpasteurized juice, person-to-person contact, and

swimming in or drinking water contaminated with sewage. The bacteria

also lives in deer, goats and sheep and is a permanent resident of

many petting zoos.

Infection with E. coli 0157:H7 can result in bloody diarrhea lasting

two to eight days and sometimes even kidney failure. There are ways to

prevent transmission of the bacteria, namely good food hygiene.

" There's always going to be a small risk, but practicing good food

hygiene is your best defense, " said s-Polymenis.

SALMONELLA

Salmonella, another bacteria, can cause bloody diarrhea in humans.

Some 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States

each year, although the CDC estimates that, because milder cases are

not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be 30

or more times greater. Approximately 600 people die each year after

being infected.

The risk of infection is greater in the summer than winter, and

children, the elderly and immuno-compromised individuals are most at

risk for serious complications.

Like E. coli, people become infected by eating contaminated foods,

usually ground beef, eggs, improperly pasteurized dairy products,

undercooked pork and, increasingly, poultry products.

" We're seeing salmonella increasing in broiler chickens, " said Dr.

Tauxe, the CDC's deputy director of the division of foodborne

bacterial and mycotic disease.

Prevention methods are similar to those for E. coli, with the added

caution not to eat raw eggs or anything containing raw eggs (even

cookie dough) and to make sure all meat is cooked thoroughly.

Breast-feeding infants can also prevent infection.

BOTULISM

Botulism is a disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

The organism thrives in environments which lack oxygen, such as

improperly canned goods, and produces a nerve toxin that can cause

paralysis, including respiratory paralysis.

" It can be very, very dangerous, " said s-Polymenis. Often,

botulism is found in home-canned foods with low acid content, such as

asparagus, green beans, beets and corn, the CDC states.

Only about 25 cases of foodborne botulism are reported in the United

States each year, but it's important that strict hygienic procedures

be followed when canning at home. " If their canned food doesn't reach

the proper heat or pressurization, then they're in danger, "

s-Polymenis said.

Also, avoid giving raw honey to infants under the age of 1 as this can

be a source of infection.

CAMPYLOBACTER

Campylobacter is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrheal

illness in the United States. More than 1 million people in the United

States, or 0.5 percent of the population, are thought to be infected

each year.

Again, the organism can cause diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea),

cramping, abdominal pain and fever as well as nausea and vomiting. An

estimated 100 people die each year, and others may develop arthritis

or Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease which can lead to

paralysis.

Campylobacter tends to strike in single, sporadic cases rather than

large outbreaks. Most cases are associated with handling raw poultry

or eating raw or undercooked poultry meat. Some 80 percent to 100

percent of chickens in the United States are carriers of this bacterium.

" There's nothing glamorous or high-tech about preventing these

things, " said s-Polymenis. " It's all about good preventive

maintenance. "

LISTERIA

The incidence of Listeria infection, caused by eating food

contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is on the

wane, said Tauxe.

Pregnant women, newborns and adults with compromised immune system are

more vulnerable to this infection, characterized by fever, muscle

aches and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. The infection can spread to

the nervous system, resulting in headache, confusion, loss of balance

or convulsions.

Some 2,500 people in the United States become ill each year with

listeriosis, and about 500 die.

Listeria is usually killed by cooking and pasteurization but can be

present in certain ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs and deli meats.

VIBRIO VULNIFICUS

Infection with this bacterium, which is in the same family as the bugs

that cause cholera, usually comes from eating contaminated seafood.

Infection can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain in healthy

people. In immuno-compromised people, it can infect the bloodstream,

resulting in septic shock. About half of the people who develop a

bloodstream infection will die. From 1988 to 1995, there were 300

reported cases of infection from the Gulf Coast states, where most of

the cases occur. Infection can be prevented by avoiding raw oysters or

other raw shellfish, and avoiding cross-contamination of cooked

seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.

OTHER OFFENDERS

Shigella is a bacteria found naturally in the intestinal tracts of

humans and other primates. But people who eat food or drink water

contaminated by Shigella can become ill with shigellosis. Food

contaminated with Shigella usually comes from water polluted by human

sewage or if handled by a person infected with Shigella or by

cross-contamination.

Hepatitis A is a virus that causes illness characterized by sudden

onset of fever, malaise, nausea, anorexia, and abdominal discomfort,

followed in several days by jaundice. Cold cuts and sandwiches, fruits

and fruit juices, milk and milk products, vegetables, salads,

shellfish, and iced drinks are commonly implicated in outbreaks,

according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Water, shellfish,

and salads are the most frequent sources. Infected workers in food

processing plants and restaurants are a common source of the food

contamination as well.

Norwalk virus is a virus that can cause viral gastroenteritis, acute

nonbacterial gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and food infection and

is transmitted mostly by contaminated water, sometimes by contaminated

food. Shellfish, particularly raw clams and oysters, and salad

ingredients, are the foods most often implicated in Norwalk outbreaks.

http://news./s/hsn/20080116/hl_hsn/usfoodsafetyfoodborneillnessesamenuf\

ordisaster