FoodBorne Illness

how does foodborne illness occur? what are sporadic illnesses? outbreaks contribute only? a foodborne outbreak occurs when? many outbreaks result from?

A foodborne illness occurs by eating contaminated food. Illnesses that are not part of outbreaks are called "sporadic." Outbreaks contribute only a small proportion (less than 5 percent) of lab-confirmed foodborne illnesses. A foodborne outbreak occurs when two or more people get the same illness after eating the same food. Many outbreaks result from food being contaminated when it is prepared or served by a food worker with improperly washed hands.

what is the impact of foodborne illness? what is the number one culprit for foodborne illness?

CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. Estimating illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths for various types of diseases is a common and important public health practice. Salmonella, a bacteria that commonly causes foodborne illnesses --results in more hospitalizations and deaths than any other bacteria found in food and --incurs $365 million in direct medical costs annually

what are the basics of food safety?

Clean. Wash hands, cutting boards, utensils, and countertops. Separate. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods. Cook. Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature: 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or consuming), 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry. Chill. Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and refrigerate food that will spoil. Report suspected illness from food to your local health department. Don't prepare food for others if you have diarrhea or vomiting. Be especially careful preparing food for children, pregnant women, those in poor health, and older adults.

what can we do as a physician?

Diagnose and treat infections by using best practices and report them rapidly. Talk to high-risk patients about food safety. Report suspected outbreaks to your local health department.

what type of organisms can cause foodborne illness? how many pathogens known to cause foodborne illness? what are the top two pathogens responsible for foodborne illness and outbreaks?

Include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause illness. Many types of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemicals and toxins cause foodborne illnesses. More than 250 pathogens and toxins are known to cause foodborne illness. Nearly all of them can cause an outbreak. Norovirus and Salmonella are the top two pathogens responsible for foodborne illness and outbreaks.

how do we report outbreaks?

Many foodborne infections are not identified by routine laboratory procedures and require specialized, experimental, and/or expensive tests that are not generally available. If the diagnosis is to be made, the patient has to seek medical attention, the physician must decide to order diagnostic tests, and the laboratory must use the appropriate procedures. Because many ill persons to not seek attention, and of those that do, many are not tested, many cases of foodborne illness go undiagnosed, and most illnesses are not laboratory-confirmed. --For example, it is estimated that 29 Salmonella illnesses occur for every one that is laboratory-confirmed and that many hospitalizations and deaths caused by Salmonella infection are not ascertained

FoodBorne Illness Facts

Millions of foodborne illnesses occur each year in the United States, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations and deaths. Reducing foodborne illness by 10% would keep 5 million Americans from getting sick each year. Preventing a single fatal case of E. coli O157 infection would save an estimated $7 million.

why is reducing salmonella infection difficult?

Reducing Salmonella infection is difficult because -It is found in many different types of foods: meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and even processed foods such as peanut butter. -Contamination can occur anywhere: from fields where food is grown to cutting boards in kitchens. -What we eat and how we eat have changed: foods coming from one central location are widely distributed, meaning that sickness can spread quickly; we eat more meals outside the home; and more foods and ingredients come from all over the world. -Some policies and procedures that can make a difference in reducing contamination take years to put into place. Salmonella infection has not declined in 15 years

which organisms cause the most hospitalizations?

campylobacter, E coli 0157, listeria, salmonella, toxoplasma gondii, norovirus (top virus)

what type of food causes the most foodborne illnesses? what type of food causes the most foodborne deaths?

produce meat/poultry