Foodborne Disease Eating or drinking a contaminated food or beverage can cause a foodborne illness. A foodborne disease outbreak occurs when two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink. Every year, about 48 million of us, roughly one in six people in the United States, get sick from eating contaminated food—it could be you, your spouse, your kids, your parents, or other loved ones. While most foodborne illnesses are not part of a recognized outbreak, outbreaks provide important information on how germs spread, which foods cause illness, and, how to prevent infection. Size of Foodborne Disease Outbreaks 98% of reported foodborne disease outbreaks occurred in only one state.An outbreak’s size varies based on the pathogen, toxin, or chemical that caused it, the amount of contaminated food, point of contamination, serving location for the food, and number of people who ate it. Some examples: •Local outbreak—A contaminated casserole served at a community supper may cause an outbreak among residents who know each other. •Statewide or regional outbreak—A contaminated batch of ground beef sold at several locations of a grocery store chain may lead to illnesses in several counties. •Nationwide outbreak—Contaminated produce from one farm may be shipped to grocery stores nationwide and sicken hundreds of people in many states. These are called multistate outbreaks.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 18:07:46 +0000
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