Disease and Organism That Causes It

Source of Illness

Symptoms

Prevention Methods

Salmonellosis Salmonella (facultative bacteria) (bacteria; more than 2000 kinds) Infection

May be found in poultry, eggs, meats, fish, milk, and products made with them. Multiplies rapidly at room temperature.

Onset 6 to 72 hours. Lasts 2 to 3 days Nausea, fever, headache, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting. Can be fatal in infants, elderly, and immuno-compromised. 2 to 3 days.

Avoid cross-contamination of foods, thorough cooking of foods, prompt and proper refrigeration of foods, practice good personal hygiene.

Shigellosis Shigella (facultative bacteria) Infection

Found in mixed and moist foods, salads, lettuce, milk and dairy products. Food becomes contaminated when a human carrier with poor personal hygiene handles liquid or moist food that is not cooked thoroughly. Organism multiplies rapidly at room temperature.

Onset 1 to 7 days. Lasts 1 to 3 days. Abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and blood, pus or mucus in stools. Can be serious in infants, elderly, and immuno-compromised.

Avoid cross-contamination of foods, avoid fecal contamination from food handlers, practice good personal hygiene, use sanitary food and water sources, control of flies, cool foods rapidly.
 

Campylobactedosis
Campylobacter jujuni (reduced oxygen) Infection

Bacteria found on poultry, cattle, and sheep and can contaminate the meat and milk of these animals. Chief food sources: raw poultry, and meat and unpasteurized milk.

Onset 2 to 5 days. Lasts 7 to 10 days, relapses are not uncommon. Diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, muscle pain and sometimes bloody stools.

Cook foods thoroughly, avoid cross-contamination of foods, avoid unpasteurized milk.
 

Listeriosis
Listeria monocytogenes (reduced oxygen) Infection
 

Found in animal intestines, soil, milk, leafy vegetables, poultry, meats, seafood, and prepared, chilled, ready to eat foods. Grows slowly at refrigeration temperatures.
 

Onset 1 day to 3 weeks. Duration is indefinite, depends on treatment. Has a high fatality in the immuno-compromised. Flu like symptoms: nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, backache, respiratory distress, meningitis.
 

Avoid raw milk, cheese from unpasteurized milk, cook foods to proper temperatures, avoid cross-contamination, clean and disinfect. High risk groups (including, immuno-compromised and young children) follow "keep refrigerated," "sell by" and "use by" dates on sous-vide foods.

Botulism
Clostridium botullnum (anaerobic)Intoxication Spore Former

Common in soil and water. The bacteria produces a toxin in oxygen free and low acid environment. Found in canned low acid foods, garlic in oil, sautéed onions, leftover potatoes, stews, meat and poultry loaves.

Onset 8 to 36 hours. Lasts several days to a year. Neurotoxic symptoms, including double vision, inability to swallow, speech difficulty and progressive paralysis of respiratory system. OBTAIN MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY, CAN BE FATAL.

Avoid home canned products, purchase garlic-in-oil in small quantities and refrigerate, sauté onions to order, practice time and temperature controls for sous-vide items and large bulky foods, cool leftovers rapidly. Avoid using bulged canned goods.