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Yersinia Enterocolitica, Is Common in Undercooked Pork. (Chit'lins, Anyone?) Hepatitis
Yersinia Enterocolitica, Is Common in Undercooked Pork. (Chit'lins, Anyone?) Hepatitis
If the old saying, "you are what you eat," is true, then some of us might become
eating what you found. And it still is. In the U.S. each year, there are an estimated 76
million cases of foodborne illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. All from
flu" or “stomach virus.” Foodborne illnesses are so common they almost seem to be an
expected--and accepted--part of life. But there is a huge financial and public health price
There are more than 200 known illnesses acquired from foods and the culprits
include bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, metals, chemicals and prions—the mysterious
agents of "Mad Cow Disease." The main infectious agents responsible for so many cases
For example, we get Salmonella bacteria from eating raw eggs and undercooked
poultry. Two other bacteria, Campylobacter jejuni and E. coli can contaminate chicken
and hamburger, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes is a tricky little bug that can grow
milk. Staphylococcus gets into potato and egg salads, and a cousin of bubonic plague,
A virus and Vibrio bacteria find their way into raw shellfish, and two
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parasites, Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora, can lurk in fresh produce.
Foodborne outbreaks frequently make the news, partly because they often involve
For example, in January, 100 students at UNC-Chapel Hill were stricken with
vomiting and diarrhea after eating from a salad bar contaminated with Norovirus. Last
November, more than 600 people contracted hepatitis A from a Mexican restaurant in a
Pennsylvania mall. (The hepatitis virus was probably from imported green onions.) In
February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued warnings in New England about
eating the meat raw.) Also in January, 69 Philadelphia hotel guests were stricken by
something one of them described as “a stomach virus, like a 24-hour bug.” Last October,
E. coli O157, a contaminant of beef, causes about 60 deaths per year in the U.S.
and is the principal cause of acute kidney failure in children. A small percentage of
people develop a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome and some of them will
Listeria, found in soft cheeses and prepared foods, causes about 500 deaths a year.
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stillbirths, miscarriages, meningitis and sepsis.
New research suggests Listeria can colonize the gall bladder to become a silent
source of infection and contamination. Like the 19th century’s Typhoid Mary who spread
typhoid bacteria to her employers, a “Listeria Larry” may emerge in the 21st century to
poisoning. Bacteria can spread from the gut into the joints to cause permanent damage.
Still other bacteria have been linked to chronic inflammatory conditions called Crohn’s
These complications also can have a profound effect on our mental well-being.
James Lindsay noted that “continual pain from arthritis, an irritable bowel, or chronic
Lindsay also writes, “Foodborne diseases are for the most part preventable.”
True enough, but from farm to kitchen there is a long chain of players who have to do
their part. They include growers and producers, shippers, government inspectors, sellers
What can we do? First, cook meats and fish thoroughly. Second, make sure your
Third, eat prepared foods before their expiration dates. Fourth, don’t feed your pets raw
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Finally, check the Annapolis Food Safety Education Campaign’s web site
(www.fightbac.org) for information on the four basic food handling techniques: Clean,
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