Food Borne Illnesses by erick skinner

Food Borne Illnesses A food borne illness is caused from eating unsafe food. It is caused by microorganisms and can be mild to fatal. Many of these microorganisms are used in small amounts of food production.

Food contamination Food gets contaminated if the amount of harmful bacteria multiplies to dangerous amounts. If food is left out in the “danger zone” (4-60 degrees C) the bacteria multiplies extremely rapidly. To prevent food from getting contaminated, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Food Safety Symbols Dangerous foods have symbols that show what type the danger is. There is corrosive, poisonous, flammable, and explosive dangers. The symbols with the triangle frame show that the container is dangerous, while the symbols with the octagon frame show that the contents are dangerous.

Botulism Botulism is a rare and sometimes fatal paralytic disease. It is obtainable by consuming food contaminated with the botulinum toxin. Botulism is preventable by cooking canned food higher than 121 degrees C.

Salmonella Salmonella is a rod shaped bacteria that grows in undercooked food. In order to get salmonella poisoning, large quantities of uncooked food need to be consumed. Side effects of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea and intestinal inflammation. To prevent salmonella, be careful when eating raw foods such as eggs, poultry, minced meat, and other foods.

Staphylococcus None of the 40 types of staphylococcus are harmful, but can cause skin problems. To prevent staphylococcus keep yourself clean. The word staphylococcus means “grape” in Greek because under a microscope it looks like bunches of grapes.

E. Coli 0157:h7 This illness will cause diarrhea and kidney failure. It is sometimes fatal. To prevent this, do not cook outside, and make sure to cook only in safe temperatures. Be careful when consuming food products such as ground beef or unpasteurized juice.

Norwalk Virus The Norwalk virus is also known as “winter vomiting”, because it is especially potent in the winter, causing people to vomit. To prevent getting the Norwalk virus, make sure to wash your hands very well and try not to eat too many foods such as oysters.

Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is spreadable human to human, but can also be obtained from contaminated food or drinks. Hepatitis A causes the liver to fail, which makes the pressure of your blood change, resulting in yellow-looking eyes. There is a vaccine for Hepatitis A in case you get infected.

Campylobacter One of the most common food borne illnesses, it can easily be treated at a hospital or clinic. To prevent Campylobacter make sure to wash your hands really well and make sure your food is clean and fully cooked.

Parasites Parasites are organisms that grow and lay eggs in the human body. Parasites are usually fatal but can be treated at hospitals. You can obtain parasites by eating raw meat or fish.

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