Most Common Bacterial Causes Of Food example essay topic

Food borne illness is an ever-present threat that can be prevented with proper care and handling of food products. It is estimated that between 24 and 81 million cases of food borne diarrhea disease occur each year in the United States, costing between $5 billion and $17 billion in medical care and lost productivity. Chemicals, heavy metals, parasites, fungi, viruses and bacteria can cause food borne illness. Bacteria related food poisoning is the most common, but fewer than 20 of the many thousands of different bacteria actually are the culprits. More than 90 percent of the cases of food poisoning each year are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, and Enter-pathogenic Escherichia coli. These bacteria are commonly found on many raw foods.

Normally a large number of food-poisoning bacteria must be present to cause illness. Therefore, illness can be prevented by (1) controlling the initial number of bacteria present, (2) preventing the small number from growing, (3) destroying the bacteria by proper cooking and (4) avoiding re-contamination. Poor personal hygiene, improper cleaning of storage and preparation areas and unclean utensils cause contamination of raw and cooked foods. Mishandling of raw and cooked foods allows bacteria to grow. The temperature range in which most bacteria grow is between 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) and 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Raw and cooked foods should not be kept in this danger zone any longer than absolutely necessary.

Under cooking or improper processing of home-canned foods can cause very serious food poisoning. Since food-poisoning bacteria are often present on many foods, knowing the characteristics of such bacteria is essential to an effective control program. Food poisoning is caused by eating foods contaminated by harmful organisms, such as bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Symptoms of food poisoning usually include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. An estimated 76 million people get food poisoning each year in the U.S. The vast majority of food poisoning cases are mild and require only rest at home and extra fluids. However, every year an estimated 325,000 people are hospitalized, usually for dehydration.

In rare cases, such as botulism, food poisoning can be life-threatening. Mass-scale food production, a larger at-risk population, and the global distribution of foods are factors that have increased the threat of becoming ill from contaminated food. U.S. Food and Drug Administration surveys show 20 per cent to 100 per cent of chickens in grocery stores carry bacteria that can make people sick if they are not cooked thoroughly. Research indicates food poisoning may trigger other conditions, such as Guillain-Barr'E syndrome, arthritis, heart disease and meningitis, in two per cent to three per cent of food poisoning cases. Campylobacter, salmonella and E. coli are bacteria that are often present in the intestines of healthy farm animals, but can be harmful if they make their way to the table during processing. They can contaminate meat, especially ground meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs and sometimes fruit and vegetables. Contamination of harmful bacteria, such as staphylococcus and shigella, is often the result of inadequate restroom facilities for farmworkers and lack of hand-washing by food handlers.

In bacterial food poisoning, food must first be contaminated by harmful bacteria. Then, bacteria usually need to multiply in the contaminated food, reaching sufficient numbers to make a person ill. Warm temperatures and protein-rich foods contribute to bacterial growth. In some cases, the bacteria itself is toxic; in others, bacteria produce a toxin that attacks the body. After contaminated food is eaten, nausea and vomiting usually begin in several hours to several days.

Vomiting is the body's normal reaction to toxins, and it may help to remove harmful bacteria that have not yet been absorbed by the stomach. Symptoms progress as the toxins move from the stomach to the intestines, causing inflammation, cramping and diarrhea. Fever may or may not be present. In most cases, people recover in a few days to a week as toxins are flushed from their systems. Weakness may be present for several days after other symptoms subside.

The C. botulinum bacteria produces toxins that paralyze the nerves and the muscles. Botulism symptoms usually begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated foods. Toxins created by the bacteria poison the nervous system, initially causing weakness and double vision. Intensive care, including mechanical ventilation, is needed to support failed breathing. Because of aggressive medical care and the availability of antitoxin, about 90 per cent of people with botulism live. Recovery from botulism may take months, and people are often weak and tire easily for as long as a year after the disease strikes.

People at increased risk of becoming ill and of having more severe symptoms with food poisoning include pregnant women, young children, older adults and people who have impaired immune systems. Factors that increase your risk for developing food poisoning: eating or drinking unpasteurized juices, raw sprouts, unpasteurized milk and milk products made from unpasteurized milk; eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, fish and shellfish. Bacterial Food Poisoning In general, the bacteria that cause food poisoning do not affect the appearance, aroma, or flavor of food. The most common bacterial causes of food poisoning are Salmonella Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella, and Campylobacter jejuni.

The symptoms may be caused by produced by the bacteria. The most serious type of food poisoning caused by bacterial toxins is which results from toxins made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Salmonella, most notoriously spread via raw eggs, develops from 6 to 72 hours after exposure. Symptoms include severe diarrhea, fever and chills, vomiting, and abdominal cramps and usually last from three to five days. Staphylococcal food poisoning is actually caused by the potent toxins that they produce.

Typical sources are unrefrigerated ham, poultry, potato or egg salad, and custards. Carriers and food handlers with staphylococcal skin infections are mainly responsible for the spread of staphylococcus toxin poisoning. The onset of symptoms from such poisoning (similar to those of Salmonella infection) occurs abruptly one to six hours after ingestion of the polluted food. The illness lasts from 24 to 48 hours; fatalities are rare. Infection with a particular strain of the usually harmless E. coli began to appear in food poisoning cases from the 1980's on, typically in raw or undercooked ground meat. Onset of symptoms comes one to eight days after eating the contaminated food.

Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, nausea, and sporadic vomiting, with or without fever. It can progress to kidney failure and death, especially in children. Listeriosis, caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is spread in soft cheeses, undercooked meats, and prepared foods from delicatessen counters. Its onset is abrupt. Symptoms vary with the person's immune status and may include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea. The illness is especially serious for the very young or for pregnant women, who may miscarry or transmit blood infections or meningitis to the baby.

In adults, the disease can progress to central nervous system complications, endocarditis, or pneumonia, and is an especially serious threat to the elderly. Shigella is spread by contaminated food or from person to person (principally via a fecal-oral route). New strains of bacteria of the genus Shigella have been associated with food poisoning from ground meat. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and bloody mucus in the stools. Campylobacter enteritis is caused by either of two species of the Campylobacter bacterium.

The bacterium is ubiquitous in uncooked poultry. Symptoms (diarrhea, fever, chills, headache) arise 2 to 11 days after exposure and last one to two weeks. Although usually mild, the infection can cause Guillain-Barr'e syndrome, a weakness of the peripheral nerves that can lead to paralysis and death. Treatment for most bacterial food poisoning includes rest, sedation, and replacement of fluid loss if necessary.

Antibiotics usually are used only in severe cases. Preventive measures in the home include thorough cooking and prompt refrigeration of meats and eggs, washing of cooking surfaces and utensils that may have been contaminated by uncooked meats or eggs, and careful handwashing after use of the toilet. Since the 1970's the number of food poisoning cases in the United States has gradually increased, and beginning in the 1980's more virulent organisms and more serious cases of food poisoning with complications leading to miscarriage, kidney failure, or death were observed. Some experts have attributed this to overprescription of antibiotics and the routine use of antibiotics as growth enhancers and to treat disease in livestock, practices that encourage the development of drug-resistant bacterial variants. The increase in the number and severity of food poisoning cases have led to concern about food inspection and preparation methods, and to consideration of irradiating high-risk foods to eliminate bacterial contamination. More stringent meat inspection procedures were put in place by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in 1996 in response to some of these concerns, and the Food and Drug Administration approved the irradiation of meat.

The vast majority of food poisoning cases, however, involve fruits and vegetables, seafood, cheese, and products, such as juices or deli salads, made with them. acute illness following the eating of foods contaminated by bacteria, bacterial toxins, natural poisons, or harmful chemical substances. It was once customary to classify all such illnesses as "ptomaine poisoning", but it was later discovered that ptomaines, the products of decayed protein, do not cause illness. The symptoms, in varying degree and combination, include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and prostration; more serious cases can result in permanent disability or death Food poisoning is usually described as any disease of an infectious or toxic caused by the consumption of food or drink. It has been recognized throughout the age. Changing lifestyles in the modern world have resulted in an increased demand for ready-to-eat foods, fast foods and dining out. Food poisoning bacteria do not affect the taste, smell, or seen by naked eye.

It is usually affect the very young, the elderly, and the weak person.