Food Microbiology Flashcards
What are examples of common gram (-) food borne bacteria ?
- salmonella
- shigella
- E. Coli
- Campylobacter
Where can you get salmonella from ?
meat, eggs, fish, shrimp, cream-filled deserts, poultry and unpasteurized milk
What is the typical onset time for salmonella ?
6 to 48 hrs
- more like 24 hrs
What are some symptoms of salmonella bacteria ?
stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, chills, fever, headache
How much of a dose of cells does Salmonella take to infect ?
as few as 15-20 cells
- doesn’t take much
What is the treatment for Salmonella infection ?
PO or injected antibiotics
- for 2 weeks
What are some characteristics of Salmonella infections ?
- NORMALLY takes about 24 hrs to get symptoms through 72 hrs
- the more times you get it the worse it gets
- contagious
- likes to hang out in the digestive tract
What were the 3 big Salmonella outbreaks ?
- Cheerios
- Ice cream
- peanut butter
How long does it take for Shigella symptoms to start ?
1-2 days after exposure
What are some symptoms of Shigella infection ?
- diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
- fever
- abdominal pain
- tenesmus (painful sensation of needing to pass stools even when bowels are empty)
What is the most dangerous type of E. Coli ?
E.Coli 0157H7 (EHEC)
- common in cattle feces and found often in ground beef
- also found in apple cider
- fallen apples can only be used in pasteurized cider
How long does E.Coli illness last ?
7-10 days
How long does it take for E.Coli symptoms to occur ?
as little as 12 hrs to 3-10 days
How does E.Coli infections get passed ?
- person to person
- hand to mouth contact
- fecal-oral route
How can you prevent E.Coli ?
- ensure proper cooking of food
- ensure proper refrigeration of food
- keep food preparation areas and utensils clean
- observe best before dates on food
- wash all fruits and vegetables before eating -
What are some symptoms of E.Coli ?
this infection is associated with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)
- fever
- vomiting
- stomach cramps
- diarrhea which can go from watery to bloody
What are some symptoms of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)?
leading cause of kidney failure in the elderly and young children
- onset starts about one week after first symptoms
- irritability
- fatigue
- puffiness around the eyes and ankles
- decrease in urine production
What is the primary bacterium of Campylobacter ?
C. Jejuni
Where is Campylobacter found ?
most animals
- also shellfish and unpasteurized milk
What are some characteristics of Campylobacter ?
- sensitive to O2, drying, freezing, salting, acid
- bacteria needs small amount of O2 (too little kills it and too much does)
- heat labile toxin
- gram (-) microaerophilic curved or S-shaped rod
- very fragile outside of body so proper food handling can control it
- invasive gastroenteritis in humans and can lead to Guillain-Barre syndrome
What are some symptoms of campylobacter infection ?
- abdominal cramps
- diarrhea
- headache
- watery and sometimes bloody stool
- fever