Bifalgorithm post · Human Nutrition · The Causes of Food Contamination
Bacterial Diseases
Bacterial Diseases (Human Nutrition · The Causes of Food Contamination) — "Many different kinds of bacteria can lead to food infections. One of the most common…
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- Bacterial food infections are caused by several pathogens transmitted through contaminated food.
- Salmonella commonly causes salmonellosis.
- Sources include meats, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and seafood.
- Symptoms usually begin within 12–72 hours and include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps; illness commonly lasts 4–7 days.
- In people with weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening complications.
- Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis.
- Sources include soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk, meat, and seafood.
- Listeriosis can cause fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting, especially in pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and immunocompromised people.
- Escherichia coli causes a food infection associated with contaminated foods and water.
- Sources include raw or undercooked meat, raw vegetables, unpasteurized milk, minimally processed ciders and juices, and contaminated drinking water.
- Symptoms include watery or bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, and dehydration.
- Severe complications can include colitis, neurological symptoms, stroke, hemolytic uremic syndrome, kidney failure, and death in young children.
- Clostridium botulinum causes botulism.
- Sources include improperly canned foods, lunch meats, and garlic.
- Symptoms can begin within 4–36 hours and include double vision, inability to swallow, speech difficulty, and progressive respiratory paralysis.
- Botulism can be fatal.
- Campylobacter jejuni causes campylobacteriosis, the most commonly identified bacterial cause of diarrhea worldwide.
- The most frequent source is undercooked chicken or food contaminated with raw chicken juices; other sources include raw meat and unpasteurized milk.
- Symptoms begin within 2–5 days and include diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, and bloody stools; illness lasts about 7–10 days.
- Shigella causes shigellosis, which has several types.
- Sources include undercooked liquid or moist food handled by an infected person.
- Symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and blood, pus, or mucus in the stool.
- After infection, protection usually applies only to that specific type of Shigella for several years.
- Staphylococcus aureus causes staphylococcal food poisoning.
- Sources include contaminated food handled without handwashing, meat and poultry, egg products, cream-filled pastries, tuna, salads, and unrefrigerated foods.
- Symptoms begin within 30 minutes to 8 hours and include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and cramps; illness usually lasts 1–2 days.
- Vibrio vulnificus is found in raw oysters and other seafood and can cause Vibrio infection.
- Symptoms can begin within 6 hours to several days and include chills, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
- The infection can be fatal, especially in people with underlying health problems.