Lecture 12: Foodborne Outbreak Case Study

food safety

scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness

food defense

the effort to protect food from acts of intentional adulteration

impacts of foodborne illness

• 48 million people contract foodborne illness in the US each year

• 128,000 hospitalizations

• 3,000 deaths

how much do foodborne illnesses cost annually in health care?

$152 billion

what accounts for almost one third of deaths of foodborne diseases?

children under 5

goals of a foodborne outbreak investigation

• define the cause

• find the source

• stop the disease spread

• implement control and prevention measures

CDC investigation steps

1. confirm the existence of an epidemic

2. verify the diagnosis

3. develop a case definition

what are the 2 broad classifications for enteric diseases?

infections and intoxications

infections

a consequence of the growth of a microorganism in the body

intoxications

caused by ingestion of food already contaminated by toxins

infections are a consequence of

the growth of a microorganism in the body

illness results from

1. viruses, bacteria, or parasites invading the intestinal mucosa an/or other tissues

2. bacteria and certain viruses invade and multiply in the intestinal tract and then release toxins that damage surrounding tissues

infectious classification of foodborne illness

• long incubation periods often measured in days

• symptoms of infection include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps

• fever and elevated white blood count are often associated with infection

intoxications are caused by

ingestion of food already contaminated by toxins

what is a prime example of bacteria that releases toxins into food during growth in the food?

staph aureus

why does illness from a toxin manifest more rapidly than that due to an infection?

time for growth and invasion of the intestinal lining is not required

the incubation period for an intoxication is often measured in

minutes or hours

what is the most common symptom of intoxication?

vomiting

infectious agents for acute enteric illness

bacteria, viruses, parasites

intoxication agents for acute enteric illness

toxins, poisons, other things like radiation

toxins

poisonous substance produced by a living organism

staph aureus incubation period

• min = 30 mins

• max = 8 hours