Overview

Hepatitis A is an acute inflammatory disease of the liver. In 2005, nearly 4,500 cases of hepatitis A were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An estimated 100 people die from the infection every year in this country.

Cause

Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). HAV is found in the stools and blood of an infected person.

Transmission

You can get hepatitis A through eating food or drinking water contaminated with the virus and through close personal contact with an infected person. Outbreaks have been associated with

• food contaminated by food handlers
• raw or undercooked shellfish harvested from contaminated waters
• contaminated produce such as lettuce and strawberries.

Several outbreaks in the United States and elsewhere have also been associated with injecting and non-injecting drug use. Hepatitis A also is common in certain areas of the world where there is poor sanitation.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hepatitis A include

• Jaundice
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Loss of appetite

Some people have mild symptoms lasting 1 to 2 weeks, while others have more severe symptoms that can last several months. Generally, the severity of the illness increases with age; children infected with hepatitis A virus usually do not have symptoms.

Diagnosis

Your health care provider can find out whether you have hepatitis A by giving you a blood test.

Treatment

There are no medicines for treating hepatitis A infection once you have it. Takinig immunoglobulin (a protein that fights infection) during a hepatitis A outbreak, however, will help keep you from getting sick.

Prevention

Good sanitation and hygiene, and avoiding contaminated food and water are the best ways you can prevent getting infected with hepatitis A.

A vaccine for hepatitis A has been available since the 1990s. Health experts recommend you get the vaccine if you are traveling to Africa, Asia, Central and South America, or Eastern Europe. Contact CDC to find out whether you are part of a risk group that should get the vaccine.

If you have certain allergic conditions, ask your health care provider whether you should get the vaccine.

Health experts don’t know how safe the vaccine is for pregnant women.

If you have been exposed to hepatitis A virus during an outbreak, takinig immunoglobulin (a protein that fights infection) will help keep you from getting sick.

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Overview

Outbreaks of foodborne disease caused by E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria have become a serious problem in this country. E. coli O157:H7, one type of the bacteria, has caused illness and major disease outbreaks in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 73,000 cases of infection with E. coli O157:H7 and 61 deaths occur in this country every year.

Cause

While there are many types of E. coli bacteria, only certain types cause foodborne illness. Hundreds of harmless strains of E. coli can be found widely in nature, including the intestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals. Disease-causing strains, however, are a frequent cause of both intestinal and urinary-genital tract infections.

In 1982, scientists identified the first harmful foodborne strain of E. coli in the United States. The disease-causing foodborne E. coli most commonly found in this country is called O157:H7, which refers to chemical compounds found on the bacterium’s surface. Cattle are the main sources of E. coli O157:H7, but these bacteria also can be found in other domestic and wild mammals.

Several different strains of harmful E. coli can cause diarrheal disease.

• Particularly dangerous types of E. coli, such as E. coli O157:H7, produce one or more kinds of toxins (poisons) called Shiga toxins. Shiga toxins can severely damage the lining of your intestines and kidneys. These types of bacteria are called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). STEC often causes bloody diarrhea and can lead to kidney failure in children or in people with weakened immune systems.
• Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), which produce a different toxin, can cause diarrhea. These strains typically cause so-called travelers’ diarrhea because they commonly contaminate food and water in developing countries.
• Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) cause persistent diarrhea (lasting 2 weeks or more) and are more common in developing countries where they can be transmitted to humans through contaminated water or contact with infected animals.

Other types of E. coli, including O26:H11 and O111:H8, also have been found in the United States and can cause disease in people.

Transmission

E. coli O157:H7 and its toxins have been found in certain foods and liquids.

• Undercooked or raw hamburgers
• Salami
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Lettuce
• Unpasteurized milk, apple juice, and apple cider
• Contaminated well water

Other ways you can get infected with E. coli include

• Swallowing unchlorinated or underchlorinated water in swimming pools contaminated by human feces
• Swimming in sewage-contaminated water
• Having direct contact with an infected family member
• Having direct contact with an infected child in a child care center

Symptoms

E. coli O157:H7 toxin can damage the lining of your intestines and cause other symptoms including

• Nausea
• Severe abdominal cramps
• Watery or very bloody diarrhea
• Fatigue

You might develop low-grade fever or vomiting. Symptoms, which usually begin from 2 to 5 days after you eat contaminated food or drink contaminated liquids, may last for 8 days. Most people recover completely from the disease.

Diagnosis

Your health care provider can use lab tests to identify E. coli O157:H7 or Shiga toxin in your stool if you are infected. CDC recommends that any one who suddenly has diarrhea with blood get their stool tested for E. coli O157:H7.

Treatment

If you are like most people infected with E. coli O157:H7, you will get better within 5 to 10 days without treatment. Antibiotics are usually not helpful, and health care experts don’t recommend taking antidiarrheal medicines.

Prevention

Ways to prevent getting infected with E. coli include

• Wash your hands thoroughly after going to the bathroom or changing diapers.
• Eat only thoroughly cooked ground beef.
• Cook ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Avoid unpasteurized milk and juices.
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating raw or cooked.
• Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods.

Complications

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, can lead to kidney failure. In North America, HUS is the most common cause of acute kidney failure in children, who are particularly prone to this complication. This life-threatening condition is usually treated in an intensive care unit of a hospital, sometimes with blood transfusions and kidney dialysis.

About 8 percent of people with HUS have other lifelong complications, such as high blood pressure, seizures, blindness, paralysis, and the effects of having part of their intestines removed.

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Overview

Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by eating or handling contaminated food or drinking contaminated beverages. U.S. health care providers report more than 10,000 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yearly. CDC estimates 100 people die of the disease yearly.

The disease occurs more frequently in summer than winter.

Cause

Campylobacteriosis is caused by bacteria called Campylobacter. Campylobacter jejuni, C. fetus, and C. coli are the types that usually cause the disease in people.

C. jejuni causes most cases of this foodborne disease. According to CDC, C. jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial diarrheal illness in the United States, affecting about 2.4 million people every year. The bacteria cause between 5 and 14 percent of all diarrheal illness worldwide. C. jejuni primarily affects children less than 5 years old and young adults 15 to 29 years old.

Transmission

You can get infected with Campylobacter from handling raw poultry, eating undercooked poultry, drinking nonchlorinated water or raw milk, or handling infected human or animal feces. Most frequently, poultry and cattle waste are the sources of the bacteria, but feces from puppies, kittens, and birds also may be contaminated with the bacteria.

Symptoms

If you are infected with Campylobacter, you may have no symptoms. If you do, they can include

• Diarrhea (often bloody)
• Abdominal cramping and pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Tiredness

Campylobacteriosis usually lasts for 2 to 5 days, but in some cases as long as 10 days.

Diagnosis

Your health care provider can use laboratory tests to identify Campylobacter in your stool if you are infected.

Treatment

If you are like most people infected with Campylobacter, you will get better with no special treatment. If you need treatment, your health care provider can prescribe an antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin or azithromycin.

Erythromycin helps treat diarrhea caused by Campylobacter. If you have diarrhea, be sure to drink plenty of water.

Prevention

• Wash hands before preparing food.
• Wash hands immediately after handling raw poultry or other meat.
• Wash thoroughly with soap and hot water all food preparation surfaces and utensils that have come in contact with raw meat.
• Cook poultry products to an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit for breast meat and 180 degrees Fahrenheit for thigh meat.
• Don’t drink unpasteurized milk.
• Don’t drink unchlorinated water that isn’t boiled.
• Wash hands after handling pet feces or visiting petting zoos.

Complications

Some people with campylobacteriosis have convulsions with fever or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the spinal cord).

Some people infected with Campylobacter develop arthritis.

A small number of people may develop Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), the leading cause of acute paralysis in this country. This rare condition develops from 2 to 4 weeks after Campylobacter infection and usually after diarrheal symptoms have disappeared. People with GBS suffer from increasing paralysis of the limbs which lasts for several weeks. In more severe cases, they develop breathing problems requiring very long hospital stays.

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Overview

Botulism is a rare but serious illness. Each year, U.S. health care providers report an average of 110 cases of botulism to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This fact sheet will focus on botulism caused by eating contaminated food. About 10 to 30 outbreaks of foodborne botulism are reported annually. Although this illness does not occur frequently, it can be fatal if not treated quickly and properly.

Cause

Botulism is caused by toxin (poison) produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This toxin affects your nerves and, if untreated, can cause paralysis and respiratory failure. C. botulinum toxin is one of the most powerful naturally occuring toxins. Exposure to the toxin, particularly in an aerosolized (spray) form, can be fatal.

C. botulinum has been made into bioweapons by rogue states and is one focus of current efforts to counter bioterrorism.

Transmission

Cases of foodborne botulism often originate with home-canned foods with low acid content, such as asparagus, green beans, beets, and corn. C. botulinum thrives in sealed containers because it is anaerobic, meaning it can survive and grow with little or no oxygen. Outbreaks of botulism, however, are often from more unusual sources such as baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil but not kept hot, and tomatoes.

Symptoms

Symptoms of foodborne botulism include

• Double vision and drooping eyelids
• Slurred speech
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
• Weak muscles

Symptoms usually begin within 18 to 36 hours after you eat contaminated food, but can occur in as few as 6 hours or as long as 10 days afterward.

Diagnosis

A health care provider can use laboratory tests to identify C. botulinum toxin in your blood or stool if you are infected.

Treatment

If you are diagnosed with botulism early, your health care provider can treat you successfully with an antitoxin that blocks the action of the bacterial toxin circulating in your blood. Although antitoxin keeps the disease from becoming worse, it will still take many weeks before you recover. Your health care provider may try to remove any contaminated food still in your gut by making you vomit or by giving you an enema.

Prevention

To prevent getting foodborne botulism you should

• Follow strict hygienic steps when canning foods at home.
• Refrigerate oils containing garlic or herbs.
• Keep baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil should either be kept hot until served or refrigerated.
• Consider boiling home-canned food before eating it to kill any bacteria lurking in the food.

Complications

If left untreated, botulism can temporarily paralyze your arms, legs, trunk, and the muscles that help you breathe. The paralysis usually improves slowly over several weeks. People who develop severe botulism experience breathing failure and paralysis and need to be put on ventilators (breathing machines).

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Botulism
Campylobacteriosis
E. coli
Hepatitis A
Norovirus Infection
Salmonellosis
Shigellosis

The above are some of the Infectious diseases spread through food or beverages are a common, distressing, and sometimes life-threatening problem for millions of people in the United States and around the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 76 million people suffer from foodborne illnesses each year in the United States, accounting for 325,000 hospitalizations and more than 5,000 deaths.

Foodborne disease is extremely costly. Health experts estimate that the yearly cost of all foodborne diseases in this country is 5 to 6 billion dollars in direct medical expenses and lost productivity.

There are more than 250 known foodborne diseases. They can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Natural and manufactured chemicals in food products also can make people sick. Some diseases are caused by toxins (poisons) from the disease-causing microbe (germ), others by the human body’s reactions to the microbe itself. To better understand the epidemiology (study of disease origin and spread) of foodborne diseases in the United States, 10 states across the country are collecting annual data on the occurrence of new cases of the most common causes of bacterial and parasitic infections through the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, a CDC-sponsored program known as FoodNet.

Recently, public health, agriculture, and environmental officials have expressed growing concern about keeping the nation’s food and water supply safe from terrorist acts of introducing foodborne microbes. A number of U.S. agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are studying this bioterrorism threat.

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