Symptoms: Blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty in swallowing or speaking, general weakness and shortness of breath. The illness may progress to complete paralysis, respiratory failure and death.
Prevention: People who eat home-canned foods should consider boiling the food for 10 minutes, which destroys the toxin. Infants should not be fed honey.
Treatment: Hospitalization and intensive care; botulism antitoxin can be helpful if given soon after symptoms begin."; foodborne[i++] = new Array("","Campylobacter","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); foodborne[i-1].body = "Cause: Poor handling of raw poultry or eating raw or undercooked poultry meat is the usual cause of this bacterial disease. Even one drop of juice from raw chicken meat can infect a person. Larger outbreaks are usually related to drinking unpasteurized milk or contaminated water. Surface water and mountain streams also can become contaminated from infected feces from cows or wild birds.
Symptoms: Diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever within two to five days of exposure. The diarrhea may be bloody and accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts one week.
Prevention: Wash poultry and cook meat thoroughly. Wash hands frequently when handling poultry. Avoid cutting poultry on a cutting board and then using the unwashed cutting board or utensil to prepare vegetables or other raw or lightly cooked foods.
Treatment: Most people recover without any specific treatment, though one should drink plenty of fluids as long as the diarrhea lasts. In more severe cases, antibiotics can help."; foodborne[i++] = new Array("","Cholera","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); foodborne[i-1].body = "Cause: One gets cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. In epidemics, the source of contamination is usually the feces of an infected person, with the disease spreading rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water. Eating raw or uncooked shellfish from brackish rivers and coastal waters also can cause cholera.
Symptoms: Usually mild, but about one in 20 infected persons has severe disease characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. Rapid loss of body fluids can lead to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours.
Prevention: Risk for cholera is low in the United States, but travelers to epidemics areas are advised to: drink only water that is boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine; eat only cooked, hot foods or fruit that you peeled yourself; and avoid undercooked or raw fish or shellfish.
Treatment: Cholera can be simply treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. Severe cases also require intravenous fluid replacement. Antibiotics are sometimes given."; foodborne[i++] = new Array("","E. Coli","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); foodborne[i-1].body = "Cause: Eating meat, especially ground beef, that has not been cooked sufficiently to kill E. coli O157:H7 can cause infection. Drinking unpasteurized milk, eating raw sprouts and swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water can also cause infection. Bacteria in diarrheal stools of infected people can be passed from one person to another, especially toddlers, if hygiene is inadequate.
Symptoms: Severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, though some infected people develop no symptoms. Children under 5 and the elderly are at risk for a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail.
Prevention: Cook all ground beef or hamburger thoroughly. Consume only pasteurized milk and milk products. Avoid raw milk. Make sure that infected people, especially children, wash their hands carefully and frequently with soap. Drink municipal water that has been treated with adequate levels of chlorine or other effective disinfectants.
Treatment: Most people recover without antibiotics or other specific treatment in five to 10 days."; foodborne[i++] = new Array("","Listeriosis","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); foodborne[i-1].body = "Cause: Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer. Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products. Unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium.
Symptoms: Fever, muscle aches and sometimes, nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions can occur. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infection during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth.
Prevention: High-risk groups include pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. Cook raw food from animal sources thoroughly. Wash raw vegetables thoroughly. Keep uncooked meats separate from all other foods. Avoid unpasteurized milk. Wash hands and kitchen utensils after handling uncooked foods.
Treatment: Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment."; foodborne[i++] = new Array("","Salmonellosis","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); foodborne[i-1].body = "Cause: Salmonella is usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such as meat, milk or eggs, but all foods, including vegetables, may become contaminated. Food also may become contaminated by the unwashed hands of an infected food handler.
Symptoms: Diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. In severe cases, the infection may spread through the bloodstream and left untreated, can be fatal.
Prevention: Avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs, poultry or meat as well as raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed before consuming.
Treatment: Salmonella infections usually resolve on their own. Severe cases may require rehydration, often with intravenous fluids."; foodborne[i++] = new Array("","Shigella","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); foodborne[i-1].body = "Cause: A group of bacteria that has four different species, Shigella is usually transmitted through direct contact with an infected person, or from food or water contaminated by an infected person.
Symptoms: Fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Prevention: Handwashing with soap and running water is the single most important preventive measure to interrupt transmission of shigellosis, especially during an outbreak.
Treatment: Antibiotics to which Shigella is susceptible."; foodborne[i++] = new Array("","Typhoid Fever","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); foodborne[i-1].body = "Cause: Eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding Salmonella Typhi is the primary cause. Illness also can be spread if contaminated sewage gets into the water supply.
Symptoms: A sustained high fever, weakness, stomach pains, headache or loss of appetite. Some patients develop a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.
Prevention: All travelers to high-risk countries should get vaccinated. In endemic areas, also avoid risky foods, eat only raw fruits and vegetables that you can peel and drink bottled water.
Treatment: Antibiotics."; // END editorial data