Bacterial Pathogens in Our Food
Bacterial Pathogens in Our Food
Foodborne illness poses a significant public health threat to the United States. The CDC estimates that consumption of contaminated food causes 48 million cases of illness each year, affecting approximately 15% of the population. Although the symptoms of foodborne illness are often mild and self-limiting, severe cases account for about 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the economic burden of foodborne illness ranges from $10 billion to $83 billion annually, a substantial impact. Media attention to outbreaks of foodborne illness has increased in recent years, raising awareness—as well as fear—in the American public. Television, Internet, and newspaper coverage of outbreaks, such as the contaminated bagged spinach in 2006 and contaminated cantaloupe in 2011, has contributed to awareness of the public health risk. Six deadly outbreaks were reported to the CDC from 2006 to 2011 ( Table 1 ). In 2011, listeriosis associated with cantaloupes from a farm in Colorado was linked to 30 deaths, one of the deadliest known outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S.
Foodborne illness, defined as any ailment associated with the ingestion of contaminated food, is most often associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting. Foodborne illness may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic in nature. Although most ailments have acute symptoms that resolve within a week, complications—including severe dehydration, bacteremia, renal and hepatic impairment, neurologic symptoms, miscarriage, and surgical complications— can occur.
Introduction
Foodborne illness poses a significant public health threat to the United States. The CDC estimates that consumption of contaminated food causes 48 million cases of illness each year, affecting approximately 15% of the population. Although the symptoms of foodborne illness are often mild and self-limiting, severe cases account for about 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the economic burden of foodborne illness ranges from $10 billion to $83 billion annually, a substantial impact. Media attention to outbreaks of foodborne illness has increased in recent years, raising awareness—as well as fear—in the American public. Television, Internet, and newspaper coverage of outbreaks, such as the contaminated bagged spinach in 2006 and contaminated cantaloupe in 2011, has contributed to awareness of the public health risk. Six deadly outbreaks were reported to the CDC from 2006 to 2011 ( Table 1 ). In 2011, listeriosis associated with cantaloupes from a farm in Colorado was linked to 30 deaths, one of the deadliest known outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S.
Foodborne illness, defined as any ailment associated with the ingestion of contaminated food, is most often associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting. Foodborne illness may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic in nature. Although most ailments have acute symptoms that resolve within a week, complications—including severe dehydration, bacteremia, renal and hepatic impairment, neurologic symptoms, miscarriage, and surgical complications— can occur.
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