Food-Borne Illness

Question 1

Risk Factors

Answer 1

Infants, children, and elderly

Pregnancy

Chronic Dz

Immunocompromised

Decreased gastric acidity

Question 2

Bacillus cereus

Answer 2

“Fried Rice Syndrome”

rice, left overs, sauces, soups; too long at room temperature

Duration 24hrs, Rapid onset

Abdominal cramps, copious watery diarrhea, vomitting

Self-limiting

Question 3

Campylobactor jejuni

Answer 3

Raw meat, poultry, milk, and shellfish

Duration 2-7 days

Diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, bloody stools

Linked with Guillan-Barre syndrome (2-3weeks after illness)

Usually self-limited but if prolonged tx

Question 4

Staphylococcus aureus

Answer 4

Disease results when toxin is produced when contaminated foods are stored at room temp

meat, poultry, eggs, tuna (high protein foods)

Rapid onset, duration 2-3 days

N/V/D

Self-limiting

Question 5

Clostridium perfingens

Answer 5

“Cafeteria Germ”

Foods prepared in large quantities that are kept on steam table too long

Meat, poultry, gravy, bean dishes

Short duration (24hrs)

Abdominal pain, diarrhea (sometimes N/V)

Question 6

Clostridium botulinum

Answer 6

Low acid, anaerobic environment

Home canned goods, honey and corn syrup can carry spore

Neurologic sxs including progressive paralysis fo the respiratory system

Requires emergency care–can be fatal

Do NOT tx with Abx b/c can lyse cells and release toxin

Question 7

Salmonella

Answer 7

MC food-borne illness in the US

raw meat, poultry, eggs, fish, raw milk–cross contamination from these

Duration 2-3 days

N/V/D, HA, fever, abdominal cramps

Can be fatal in the very young and very old

Question 8

Enterohemorrhagic E. Coli (EHEC)

Answer 8

Found in feces of warm blooded animals–> contaminated food (ground beef) and lake water

Bloody, watery diarrhea; hemorrhagic colitis; abdominal pain

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS): acute renal failure, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia

No Abx: can cause more damage

Question 9

Enterotoxigenic E. Coli (ETEC)

Answer 9

MC form of traveler’s diarrhea

Prevention: wash, peel, cook fruits and veggies

Profuse watery diarrhea, fever, N+/-V, HA, myalgia

Self-limiting

Abx only if prolonged course

Question 10

Listeria monocytogenes

Answer 10

intestinal bacteria

leafy vegetables, strawberries, raspberries, juices, canteloupe, deli meats, hot dogs, smoked seafood

Onset within 24hrs–fever, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, HA, myalgias

Requires hospitalization–can be fatal (listeriosis) or cause fetal loss

Question 11

Shigella dysenteriae

Answer 11

From human fecal matter–day care settings

Few progress to the disease

Diarrhea, bloody mucoid stools, abdominal pain, fever

Question 12

Vibrio cholera

Answer 12

Sources: human, water, food

Vomiting, profuse watery diarrhea that can lead to *dehydration and death *

Question 13

Clostridium difficile

Answer 13

Common nosocomial infx following abx treatment

Cytotoxin causes mucosal damage–> colitis, pseumembranous colitis

Difficult to tx

Question 14

Hepatitis A Virus

Answer 14

Fecal-Oral transmission

Sxs may be mild, but last for months

Dark urine, fatigue, low grade fever, anorexia, N/V, jaundice, acholic stools

Question 15

Norovirus

Answer 15

Passed from person to person (infected food handlers)

N/V/D and abdominal pain

Self-limiting

Seasonal virus–every winter

Question 16

Prevention of Food Borne Illness

Answer 16

Cold foods <40 degrees, Hot foods above 140 degrees

Do not reheat food in crock pot

Avoid putting items like backpacks/purses in kitchen where food will be prepared

Pay attention to sell-by and use-by dates (unopened packages are usually good 2weeks after sell-by dates)

Avoid cross contamination of meats and veggies–put on lower shelf and put on plate to avoid drippings

Carefully wash fruits and veggies

Refrigerate groceries promptly

Meat should be thawed in cold water, the fridge, or microwave

Once meat has thawed, it should not be refrozen unless cooked

Marinate meat in the fridge

When basting on the grill, apply sauce only to cooked surfaces of meat

No hot or cold food should be left at room temperature more than 2 hours