Foodborne Illnesses

Foodborne illnesses are also known as food poisoning and involve any illness you get as a result of eating tainted food which has become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, parasites, viruses or toxins. Foodborne illnesses can also be caused by pesticides in food or by medication in food and by toxin found naturally, such as in poisonous mushrooms or certain reef fish.

Foodborne illnesses occur as a result of improper food storage, preparation or handling. It is vital that food handlers wash their hands frequently and especially after using the restroom so they don't pass on an illness through food to others. Restaurants must practice food safety in order to make sure they don't get sick customers.

The most common cause of foodborne illness includes bacterial illnesses. These include Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, and E. coli O157:H7. Campylobacter has the highest rate at 77 percent with 20 percent occurring as a result of Salmonella. Symptoms are often not seen for 12 to 72 hours after ingestion because the bacteria need time to multiply in the gut. Other bacterial causes of foodborne illnesses include Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Shigella, and other E. coli types.

Besides the illnesses caused directly by the infection, some bacteria can secrete exotoxins that can cause symptoms. The symptoms usually occur around 24 hours after exposure to the toxin. This is true with Clostridium species, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. In Staph infections, the toxin causes intense vomiting. Clostridium toxins can cause paralysis, especially with Clostridium botulinum. There are certain species of Pseudomonas and Vibrio that produce a lethal form of toxin known as tetrodotoxin.

Mycotoxins present a cause for foodborne illness. This can include exposure to aflatoxins, which are found in tree nuts, corn, peanuts, sorghum and oil seeds like corn and cotton seeds. Some of these aflatoxins cause liver necrosis and subsequent liver failure, cirrhosis or liver cancer. Altertoxins can be found in sorghum, wheat and tomatoes. Ergot alkaloids are toxins found in food as are fumonisins, which can contaminate corn and cause liver cancer and esophageal cancer.

You can prevent bacterial foodborne illnesses by following strict hygiene rules such as hand washing and by surveying animals before slaughter. Food must be kept at acceptable temperatures and thrown away if they go bad. Cutting boards need thorough cleaning after use to avoid buildup of bacteria in the cracks and crevices of the cutting board. Regulations also require that food be traceable to its source in case an outbreak occurs and that proper hygiene be used in the food industry.

One treatment of foodborne illnesses from meat is called phage therapy. This involves spraying meat intended for food consumption with viruses that infect and kill off the bacteria that can cause the bacterial foodborne infection. Cooking food thoroughly also eliminates the chances of getting a foodborne illness.

Viruses can infect people eating contaminated food and account for about a third of all cases of food poisoning in developed nations. Noroviruses are the most common virus causing foodborne illness, causing about 57 percent of all viral cases. The incubation period is about 1-3 days and it affects otherwise healthy individuals. Hepatitis A is another infection that has a 2-6 week incubation period and affects primarily the liver. It is mainly caused by exposure to fecal contamination of fresh produce. Enteroviruses, Rotaviruses and Hepatitis E are all viral foodborne illnesses.

Parasites can cause foodborne illnesses. Many are larvae that go on to creating intestinal worms. Species include those in the family called Platyhelminthes. Other worms include nematodes, Trichinella worms, and Anisakis species. Protozoan foodborne illnesses include Acanthamoeba, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia lamblia.

The main symptoms of foodborne illnesses include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and crampy abdominal pain. Some show jaundice and liver pain. Others may give you a fever.

The primary treatment of foodborne illnesses includes supportive measures like clear liquids and antidiarrheal agents. For bacterial infections, antibiotics are sometimes used and for worms, anti-helminthics agents are recommended.