Foodborne Diseases And How They Can Contribute To Digestive Issues

You hear and read about infectious diseases being spread through food or drink and may realize just how common this occurrence can be and just how life threatening this problem of foodborne diseases can be. We all know that anything we ingest be it a food or a liquid can have an affect upon our digestive system. Our digestive system consists of not just our mouth and stomach but it includes our mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, gallbladder, pancreas and also the liver just to digest that sandwich or glass of milk you just gulped?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that as many as 76 million individuals have suffered from foodborne illnesses each year in just the United States! Foodborne illness account for as many as 325,000 hospitalizations and more than 5,000 deaths each year.

Foodborne disease is also extremely expensive and health experts have estimated that a yearly cost for foodborne disease in the United States ranges from 5 to 6 BILLION dollars in direct medical expenses and also lost productivity from workers who have these diseases.

Bacteria, viruses and parasites account for more than 250 known foodborne diseases but natural and manufactured chemicals in our food products can also make us sick. Some diseases that affect our digestive systems are caused by toxins (poisons) that come from disease-causing germs (microbes) and by the reactions that our bodies have to these germs.

The foodborne diseases are a worldwide concern as many countries battle the devastating effects of the digestive system issues that this foodborne illness can wreck upon populations. There are a number of U.S. agencies that are concerned about the safety of both our food supply and water supply including: the National Institutes of Health, the CDC, our Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are all agencies that are very concerned with foodborne diseases and the affect they can have on our population. Studying foodborne threats from sources such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites can not only help us to know how the diseases can come about, but help us to combat or prevent them as well.

Common foodborne diseases include: Botulism, Campylobacteriosis, E. Coli, and Salmonellosis.

Botulism is a foodborne disease that is caused by bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The disease causes flaccid paralysis of muscles. The botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin. The recorded history of this disease dates back to 1735 when it first appeared in German sausages. There are 3 main types of botulism foodborne, wound botulism and infant botulism.

The E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria have been responsible for approximately 73,000 cases of the infection and 61 deaths in the U.S. each year. There is literally hundreds of harmless strains of E. coli found in nature, including those that can even is found in our own intestinal tracts and those of other warm-blooded animals.

Campylobacteriosis is a bacterial infection that affects the intestinal tract, and can in rare cases also affect the bloodstream. Eating or drinking contaminated food, water, and unpasteurized milk can spread the bacterium. Coming into direct contact can also spread it with the fecal material from an infected person, animal or pet (kitten and puppies are common carriers). The symptoms are mild or severe diarrhea, fever and traces of blood in the stool. Many animals will carry these bacteria in their intestines including: birds, cattle, chicken, dogs, and pigs.

The E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria have been responsible for approximately 73,000 cases of the infection and 61 deaths in the U.S. each year. There is literally hundreds of harmless strains of E. coli found in nature, including those that can even is found in our own intestinal tracts and those of other warm-blooded animals. The symptoms of E. Coli toxins damaging the intestines are nausea, severe abdominal cramping, watery or very bloody diarrhea, and fatigue. There may be a low-grade fever and or vomiting also associated with the illness. The symptoms usually start 2 to 5 days after ingesting the contaminated food or liquid and can last for 8 days. Usually individuals recover from the disease.

Salmonellosis is also a bacteria found in food such as raw poultry, eggs, and beef. It can also be found in unwashed fruit. When individuals prepare other food items on surfaces that held contaminated food, they can also become contaminated with the bacteria - this is called cross-contamination.

Salmonella can also be spread by eating raw alfalfa sprouts that were grown in contaminated soil, by handling pets that have salmonella especially reptile pets such as turtles, lizards and snakes. Salmonellas can become a chronic infection even if the individual has no symptoms, spreading of the disease can happen when hands are not washed and the individual prepares food for others to eat.

The symptoms of Salmonellosis can start within 12 hours and up to 3 days from the infection and can include diarrhea, fever, headache or abdominal cramping.