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Common Foodborne Pathogens
Botulism
Pathogenic Cause: Toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum
Incubation Period: 12 to 36 hours
Symptoms:Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, dry mouth, double vision, muscle paralysis, respiratory failure: CAN BE FATAL
Frequent Source: Low-acid canned foods, meats, sausage, fish, soil, water and left over stews, potatoes, and meatloaves.
How to Avoid: Properly can foods following recommended procedures; , do not use dented or bloated cans; cook foods properly.
Brucellosis
Pathogenic Cause: Consuming of live organisim in contaminated meats, milk and milk products.
Incubation Period: 1-6 weeks
Symptoms:Low grade fever, sweating, weakness in general
Frequent Source: Meat, milk and milk products.
How to Avoid: Pastuerize milk and milk products properly and use general proper sanitation in food handling.
Campylobacter Jejuni
Pathogenic Cause: Infection, even with low numbers
Incubation Period: One to seven days
Symptoms: Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, headache - varying in severity
Frequent Source: Raw milk, eggs, raw or undercooked beef, poultry and shellfish, cake icing, water
How to Avoid: Pasteurize milk; cook foods properly; prevent
cross-contamination.
Clostridium Perfringens
Pathogenic Cause: an aerobic spore former Contamination of drinking water or milk
Incubation Period: 8 to 24 hours
Symptoms: Diarrhea, nausea somethimes, abdominal cramps, headache, chills
Frequent Source: Dishes made with meat or poultry, and other foods held for serving at warm, but
not hot, temperatures
How to Avoid: Cool foods rapidly after cooking; hold hot foods above 131°
F.; rteheat quickly to 165 ° F.
Cryptosporidium Parvum
Pathogenic Cause: Drinking contaminated water; eating raw or undercooked food; putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the stool of an infected person or animal; direct contact with the droppings of infected animals.
Incubation Period: Two to 10 days
Symptoms: Watery diarrhea accompanied by mild stomach cramping, nausea, loss of
appetite. Symptoms may last 10 to 15 days.
Possible Contaminants: Contaminated water or milk, person-to-person transmission
(especially in child daycare settings). Contaminated food can also cause infections.
How to Avoid: Avoid water or food that may be contaminated; wash hands
after using the toilet and before handling food. If you work in a child care center where
you change diapers, be sure to wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after every
diaper change, even if you wear gloves. During communitywide outbreaks caused by
contaminated drinking water, boil drinking water for 1 minute to kill the Cryptosporidium
parasite. Allow water to cool before drinking it.
Escherichia coli 0157:H7
Pathogenic Cause: Strain of enteropathic E.coli
Incubation Period: 12 to 72 hours
Symptoms: Hemorrhagic colitis; possibly hemolytic uremic syndrome; abdominal cramps; diarrhea; nausea; vomiting.
Frequent Source: Ground beef, raw milk, chicken and fecal contaminated water.
How to Avoid: Thoroughly cook meat; no cross-contamination; cook to above 155 ° F and hold at lower than 40 ° F; practice good personnel hygiene and hand washing technique.
Listeriosis
Pathogenic Cause: Infection with Listeria monocytogenes
Incubation Period: Two days to three weeks
Symptoms: Meningitis; sepsticemia; miscarriage; general flu-like; CAN BE FATAL in immune-challenged persons.
Frequent Source: Leafy vegetables; milk; cheese; meat; seafood; processed foods; animal intestines.
How to Avoid: Pasteurize milk; cook foods properly; no cross-contamination;
use sanitary practices.
Salmonellosis
Pathogenic Cause: Infection with Salmonella species
Incubation Period: 6 to 72 hours
Symptoms: Nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, chills, prostration
Frequent Source: Meat, poultry, egg or milk products
How to Avoid: Cook thoroughly; avoid cross-contamination; general correct food handling; sanitary equipment; promt refrigeration.
Staphylococcus
Pathogenic Cause: Toxin produced by certain strains of
Staphylococcus aureus
Incubation Period: One to six hours
Symptoms: Severe vomiting, headache, diarrhea, abdominal cramping
Frequent Source: Custard- or cream-filled baked goods, ham, poultry,
dressing, gravy, eggs, potato salad, cream sauces, sandwich fillings
How to Avoid: Refrigerate foods; use sanitary practices.
Toxoplasma Gondii
Pathogenic Cause: Parasitic infection
Incubation Period: Five to 23 days after exposure
Symptoms: In healthy children and adults, toxoplasmosis may cause no symptoms at
all, or may cause a mild illness (swollen lymph glands, fever, headache, and muscle
aches).
Toxoplasmosis is a very severe infection for unborn babies and for people with immune
system problems.
Frequent Source: Cat, rodent or bird feces, raw or undercooked food.
How to Avoid: Wash hands thoroughly after working with soil, cleaning
litter boxes, before and after handling foods, and before eating. Cover sandboxes when not
in use.
Yersiniosis
Pathogenic Cause: Infection with Yersinia enterocolitica
Incubation Period: One to three days
Symptoms: Enterocolitis, may mimic acute appendicitis
Frequent Source: Raw milk, chocolate milk, water, pork, other raw meats
How to Avoid: Pasteurize milk; cook foods properly; no cross-contamination;
use sanitary practices.
SEAFOOD TOXINS RESULTING IN FOODBORNE ILLNESS
Ciguatera
Pathogenic Cause: Fish poisoning caused by ciguatoxin.
Incubation Period: 6 to 24 hours
Symptoms: Vomiting; itching; dizziness; nerve end tingling; hot and cold flashes; temporary blindness may occur that can last for weeks.
Frequent Source: Fish that have eaten smaller reef fish that feed on an alge that carries ciguatoxin; snapper, grouper; barracuda; mackeral; kackfish and trigerfish
How to Avoid: Eat smaller fish to avoid ones that have accumulated large amounts of the toxin; be selective in the species of fish consumed. NOTE: This toxin is currently not detecable in less that 7 days, nor is it killed by cooking.
Scomboid
Pathogenic Cause: Histamine produced by poor handling.
Incubation Period: Immediate to 30 minutes
Symptoms: A burning, metallic or peppery taste; flushing and sweating; headaches; nausea; in bad cases can include abdominal cramps, diarrhea; hives and rashes.
Frequent Source: Fish that have been allowed to decompose because of poor refrigeration; tuna, dolfin fish; bluefish; amberjack; mackerel; abalone.
How to Avoid: Know the source of you fish and eat selected species only. NOTE: Histamine is not killed by cooking and is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Often times this intoxication is identified incorrectly as the more dangerous Ciguatera.
VIRAL SOURCES RESULTING IN FOODBORNE ILLNESS
Norwalk Virus
Pathogenic Cause: Infection with Norwalk virus
Incubation Period: Between 12 and 48 hours (average, 36 hours); duration, 12-60
hours
Symptoms: Nausea; headache; lowgrade fever; vomiting; diarrhea and abdominal cramps
Frequent Source: raw oysters/shellfish, water and ice, salads, frosting,
person-to-person contact: via fecal contamination
How to Avoid: Adequate and proper treatment and disposal of sewage, proper food cooking, correct chlorination of water, restriction of infected food handlers from working with food until they are no longer dangerous.
Hepatitis A
Pathogenic Cause: hepatitis A virus; a viral infection.
Incubation Period: Can be sudden or up to 60 days
Symptoms: Fever, nausea, abdominal pains, fatigue. This is followed by jaundice in a few days and can last from a few weeks in mild cases to months, with hospital convalescence prolonged in more severe cases. May cause liver damage or death.
Frequent Source: Hand to mouth by human carrier with poor personal hygiene handling food that will be consumed raw; shellfish from contaminated water.
How to Avoid: Proper hand washing practice and drinking of uncontaminated water. This is a hand to mouth fecal contamination problem. Through cooking of food and purchasing shellfish from a reputable source.
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