SECTION2FoodborneBacterialPathogens-FoodSafety.docVIP

SECTION 2: FOODBORNE BACTERIAL PATHOGENS This section focuses on specific foodborne bacterial pathogens. An understanding of the growth characteristics and sources of bacterial pathogens in foods is essential to conducting a hazard analysis of a food and subsequently controlling the identified hazards. The discussion will center on gram-negative rods and gram-positive rods and cocci. The pathogens within each group have some similarities in addition to their gram stain. For example, gram negative rods are nonspore formers and tend to have a fecal source. On the other hand, gram positive rods and cocci can be spore formers and are typically associated with environmental sources like soil and sediments. GRAM-NEGATIVE RODS Campylobacter Campylobacter jejuni infection, called Campylobacteriosis, causes diarrhea, which might be watery or sticky and might contain blood. Other symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, and muscle pain. Onset of illness occurs 2-5 days after eating contaminated food or water and lasts between 7 and 10 days, with a relapse in 25% of cases. While Campylobacter infections are self-limiting, antibiotics can further limit the amount of time that bacteria are shed in the feces of infected individuals. The infective dose is considered to be small; human feeding studies suggest that as few as 400-500 bacteria might cause illness. While the pathogenic mechanism is not completely understood, it is an infection. Estimated numbers of cases of campylobacteriosis exceed two to four million per year. In fact, it is considered the leading cause of human diarrheal illness in the U.S. and is reported to cause more disease than Shigella and Salmonella spp. combined. Despite this, death is rare, with one fatality per 1,000 cases. Those most frequently afflicted are children under 5 years and young adults ranging from 15 to 29. Raw and undercooked chicken, raw and improperly pasteurized milk, raw clams, and non-chlorinated water have