Alert: Food pathogens

The top five illness-causing pathogens -- Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii and norovirus -- cause $12.7 billion in economic losses each year according to the report Issued by the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute. Poultry contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria is the food-pathogen combination that causes the most foodborne illness in the United States, sickening more than 600,000 people a year at a cost of $1.3 billion.The economic cost takes into account lost productivity, medical care and serious complications or chronic disabilities associated with the illness.Salmonella as the leading disease-causing microorganism (costing more than $3 billion a year), and Salmonella-contaminated produce, poultry, eggs and multi-ingredient foods all rank in the top 10 food-pathogen combinations.
Lets study the top 5 pathogens to keep ourselves and our family safe. It is important to be aware of the risk, since the availability of food has reached its pick, but yet the production and safety has become a serious problem that may stop some of from eating out or alert our eating habits.
Campylobacter-is a genus of bacteria that are Gram-negative, spiral, and microaerophilic(requires lower levels of oxygen to survive).The common routes of transmission are fecal-oral, ingestion of contaminated food or water, and the eating of raw meat.It produces an inflammatory, sometimes bloody, diarrhea, periodontitis[8] or dysentery syndrome, mostly including cramps, fever and pain.The sites of tissue injury include the jejunum, the ileum, and the colon.Most strains of C jejuni produce a toxin that hinders the cells from dividing and activating the immune system.This helps the bacteria to evade the immune system and survive for a limited time in the cells.Treatment:Generally there is little treatment apart from rest and keeping up fluid intake; Sometimes antibiotics will be prescribed; Dehydrated children may require intravenous (by vein) fluid treatment in hospital; The illness is contagious and children must be kept at home; Good hygiene is important.