Kriti Singh1 and Prateek Jindal2 1Ph.D. Scholar, School of Public Health & Zoonoses 2Assistant Professor, KVK, Barnala Guru AngadDev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana 141004 (Punjab)
Outbreaks associated with foodborne diseases have become a potential threat to the entire globe because of growing international trade, migration and travel. As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year roughly 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases in the United States. In 2011, the food borne disease burden in India was estimated to be about 100 million cases per year with estimated economic losses of around 12-55 billion USD and the burden is expected to rise to 150-177 million cases per year in 2030.
Diseases that occur as a result of consumption of food contaminated with disease- causing bacteria or pathogens are called as foodborne illnesses or food poisoning. Contaminated food may not look, smell or taste any different from foods that are safe to eat. Foodborne bacteria are often naturally present in food and there number increases under favorable conditions like when the food temperature is between 5-60 °C. There are higher chances of foodborne illnesses during food preparation in summer season however bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes can even grow at refrigeration temperatures. Most common bacteria causing foodborne illnesses are E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. Some cases of foodborne illnesses don’t occur as a result of ingesting bacteria, rather by ingesting the toxins already present in the food. Such illnesses are known as food intoxication and include cases of poisoning by Staphylococcus, Bacillus cereus etc. The virus most commonly causing gastrointestinal cases is the Norovirus which can get transmitted via contaminated food, water and even by surfaces like sinks, tables etc.
Bacteria can grow and multiply on various kinds of food but certain items like meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, sea food, potato salads & cooked rice are generally preferred by bacteria. Other foods can also get infected & cross contaminated if proper hygienic measures are not followed during preparation, storage, transportation & handling of food items.
Foodborne illnesses generally occur 1-3 days after consumption of contaminated food, depending on the type of foodborne pathogen, type of toxin and level of contamination. These illnesses occur when food is not cooked thoroughly, if it is not stored at correct temperature, if cooked food is kept unrefrigerated for more than an hour or if the food gets cross- contaminated with raw meat etc.It may result in symptoms like nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea which may or may not be accompanied by blood. Some people are at higher risk of developing foodborne illnesses like pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Major pathogens responsible for foodborne illnesses
| Foodborne disease | Causative Agent | Source | Incubation Period | Clinical Symptoms |
| Salmonellosis (non-typhoidal) | Salmonella spp. | Raw & undercooked eggs, undercooked poultry and meat, unpasteurized milk & dairy products, contaminated raw fruits & vegetables | 6-72 hours | Diarrhea, abdominal pain & cramps, fever that appears 2-5 days after eating contaminated food |
| Hemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) | E. coli O157:H7; EnterohaemorrhagicE.coli (EHEC) | Unpasteurized milk & dairy products, raw or undercooked beef | 3-8 days | Severe diarrhea (often bloody), abdominal cramps & vomiting |
| Campylobacteriosis | Campylobacter jejuni | Unpasteurized milk & dairy products, raw & undercooked poultry and other meats | 2-5 days | Diarrhea (frequently with blood), fever, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting |
| Staphylococcal food poisoning | Staphylococcus aureus | Contaminated egg, milk, cheese, chicken etc. | 2-8 hours | Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, sometimes headache & fever |
| Clostridial food poisoning | Clostridium perfringens | Meat, meat products | 6-24 hours | Intense abdominal cramps, nausea & diarrhea |
| Botulism | Clostridium botulinum | Home- canned foods with a low-acid content, improperly canned commercial foods, home- canned or fermented fish | 12-36 hours | Fatigue, weakness, vertigo usually followed by dry mouth, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty in swallowing & speaking (no fever & loss of consciousness) |
| Listeriosis | Listeria monocytogenes | Refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats, unpasteurized milk & dairy products, raw and undercooked meat, poultry & seafood | 3-21 days | Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and diarrhea; symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, convulsion, confusion in some cases |
Prevention & control measures:
- Proper hygienic measures should be followed like kitchen equipment should be kept clean and hands should be properly washed before cooking and eating.
- Raw food and ready-to-eat food should not be mixed together in order to prevent cross-contamination.
- Animal based products like meat, poultry, seafood especially shellfish should be properly cooked before consumption.
- Leftover food should be reheated steaming hot before consuming.
- Food should be kept at safe temperatures like cooked food should be refrigerated within two hours of preparation.
- Safe drinking water should be used for preparing food.
- Check best before and expiry date while buying packed food.
