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Bacteria
That Cause Food-borne Illness |
Campylobacter
jejuni |
| Found:
Intestinal tracts of animals and birds, raw milk, untreated water,
and sewage sludge. Transmission: Contaminated water, raw milk and raw or undercooked meat, poultry or shellfish. Symptoms: Fever, headache and muscle pain followed by diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal pain and nausea that appear 2 to 5 days after eating and may last 7 to 10 days. |
Clostridium
botulinum |
| Found:
Widely distributed in nature; soil, water, on plants and intestinal
tracts of animals and fish. Grows only in little or no oxygen. Transmission: Bacteria produce a toxin that causes illness. Improperly canned foods, garlic in oil, vacuum-packaged and tightly wrapped food. Symptoms: Toxin affects the nervous system. Symptoms usually appear 18 to 36 hours after eating, but can sometimes appear in as few as four hours or as many as eight days after eating; symptoms include double vision, droopy eyelids, trouble speaking and swallowing, and difficulty breathing. Fatal in 3 to 10 days if not treated. |
Clostridium
perfringens |
| Found: Soil, dust, sewage and intestinal tracts of animals
and humans. Grows only in little or no oxygen. Transmission: Called "the cafeteria germ" because many outbreaks result from food left for long periods in steam tables or at room temperature. Bacteria destroyed by cooking, but some toxin-producing spores may survive. Symptoms: Diarrhea and gas pains may appear 8 to 24 hours after eating and usually last about 1 day, but less severe symptoms may persist for 1 to 2 weeks. |
Escherichia
coli 0157:H7 |
| Found:
Intestinal tracts of some mammals, raw milk, unchlorinated water;
one of several strains of E. Coli that can cause human illness. Transmission: Contaminated water, raw milk, raw or rare ground beef, unpasteurized apple juice or cider, uncooked fruits and vegetables or person-to-person. Symptoms: Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and malaise can begin 2 to 5 days after food is eaten and last about 8 days. Some, especially the very young, have developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) that causes acute kidney failure. A similar illness, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), may occur in older adults. |
Listeria monocytogenes |
| Found:
Intestinal tracts of humans and animals, milk, soil, leaf vegetables
and processed foods; bacteria can grow slowly at refrigerator temperatures. Transmission: Soft cheese, raw milk, ice cream, raw leafy vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood. Illness caused by bacteria which do not produce toxin. Symptoms: Fever, chills, headache, backache, sometimes abdominal pain and diarrhea occur 12 hours to 3 weeks after eating and may later develop more serious illness in at-risk patients (meningitis or spontaneous abortion in pregnant women). Sometimes fatigue is only symptom. |
Salmonella
(over 2300 types) |
| Found:
Intestinal tract and feces of animals; Salmonella enteritidis in
raw shell eggs. Transmission: Raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, and meat; raw milk and dairy products; seafood and food handlers. Symptoms: Stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, chills, fever and headache usually appear 8 to 72 hours after eating and may last 1 to 2 days. |
Shigella (over
30 types) |
| Found: Human intestinal tract; rarely found in other animals. Transmission: Person-to-person by fecal-oral route; fecal contamination of food and water. Most outbreaks result from food, especially salads, prepared and handled by workers using poor personal hygiene. Symptoms: Disease referred to as "shigellosis" or bacillary dysentery. Diarrhea containing blood and mucus, fever, abdominal cramps, chills, and vomiting occur 12 to 50 hours from ingestion of bacteria and can last a few days to 2 weeks. |
Staphylococcus
aureus |
| Found:
On humans (skin, infected cuts, pimples, noses, and throats). Transmission: People to food through improper food handling. Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature to produce a toxin that causes illness. Symptoms: Severe nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea occur 1 to 5 hours after eating; recovery takes 2 to 3 days --longer if severe dehydration occurs. |
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