FOOD BORNE DISEASES

FOOD BORNE DISEASES (INFECTIONS AND INTOXICATION)

Table 1: Bacterial Food Diseases (Infections and Intoxication)
Etiologic Agent
Incubation Period
Clinical Syndrome
Confirmation
Bacillus cereus – Vomiting toxin
1-6 hrs
Vomiting; some patients with diarrhea; fever uncommon
Isolation of organism from stool of two or more ill persons and not from stool of control patients
OR
Isolation of 105 organisms/g from epidemiologically implicated food, provided specimen is properly handled
Bacillus cereus – Diarrheal toxin
6-24 hrs
Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting in some patients; fever uncommon
Isolation of organism from stool of two or more ill persons and not from stool of control patients
OR
Isolation of 105 organisms/g from epidemiologically implicated food, provided specimen is properly handled
Brucella
Several days to several mos; usually >30 days
Weakness, fever, headache, sweats, chills, arthralgia, weight loss, splenomegaly
Two or more ill persons and isolation of organism in culture of blood or bone marrow; greater than fourfold increase in standard agglutination titer (SAT) over several wks, or single SAT 1:160 in person who has compatible clinical symptoms and history of exposure
Campylobacter jejuni/coli
2-10 days; usually 2-5 days
Diarrhea (often bloody), abdominal pain, fever
Isolation of organism from clinical specimens from two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of organism from epidemiologically implicated food
Clostridium botulinum
2 hrs-8 days; usually 12-48 hrs
Illness of variable severity; common symptoms are diplopia, blurred vision, and bulbar weakness; paralysis, which is usually descending and bilateral, might progress rapidly
Detection of botulinum toxin in serum, stool, gastric contents, or implicated food
OR
Isolation of organism from stool or intestine
Clostridium perfringens
6-24 hrs
Diarrhea, abdominal cramps; vomiting and fever uncommon
Isolation of 106 organisms/g from stool of two or more ill persons, provided specimen is properly handled.
OR
Demonstration of enterotoxin in the stool of two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of 105 organisms/g from epidemiologically implicated food, provided specimen is properly handled
Escherichia coli –Enterohemorrhagic (E. coli O157:H7 and others)
1-10 days; usually 3-4 days
Diarrhea (often bloody), abdominal cramps (often severe), little or no fever
Isolation of E. coli O157:H7 or other Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli from clinical specimen from two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of E. coli O157:H7 or other Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli from epidemiologically implicated food
Escherichia coli –Enterotoxigenic (ETEC)
6-48 hrs
Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea; vomiting and fever less common
Isolation of organism of same serotype, demonstrated to produce heat-stable (ST) and/or heat-labile (LT) enterotoxin, from stool of two or more ill persons
Escherichia coli –Enteropathogenic (EPEC)
Variable
Diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps
Isolation of organism of same enteropathogenic serotype from stool of two or more ill persons
Escherichia coli –Enteroinvasive (EIEC)
Variable
Diarrhea (might be bloody), fever, abdominal cramps
Isolation of same enteroinvasive serotype from stool of two or more ill persons
Listeria monocytogenes –Invasive disease
2-6 wks
Meningitis, neonatal sepsis, fever
Isolation of organism from normally sterile site
Listeria monocytogenes –Diarrheal disease
Unknown
Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever
Isolation of organism of same serotype from stool of two or more ill persons exposed to food that is epidemiologically implicated or from which organism of same serotype has been isolated
Nontyphoidal Salmonella
6 hrs-10 days; usually 6-48 hrs
Diarrhea, often with fever and abdominal cramps
Isolation of organism of same serotype from clinical specimens from two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of organism from epidemiologically implicated food
Salmonella Typhi
3-60 days; usually 7-14 days
Fever, anorexia, malaise, headache, and myalgia; sometimes diarrhea or constipation
Isolation of organism from clinical specimens from two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of organism from epidemiologically implicated food
Shigella spp.
12 hrs-6 days; usually 2-4 days
Diarrhea (sometimes bloody), often accompanied by fever and abdominal cramps
Isolation of organism of same species or serotype from clinical specimens from two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of organism from epidemiologically implicated food
Staphylococcus aureus
30 min-8 hrs; usually 2-4 hrs
Vomiting, diarrhea
Isolation of organism of same phage type from stool or vomitus of two or more ill persons
OR
Detection of enterotoxin in epidemiologically implicated food
OR
Isolation of 105 organisms/g from epidemiologically implicated food, provided specimen is properly handled
Streptococcus, group A
1-4 days
Fever, pharyngitis, scarlet fever, upper respiratory infection
Isolation of organism of same M- or T-type from throats of two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of organism of same M- or T-type from epidemiologically implicated food
Vibrio cholerae –O1 or O139
1-5 days
Watery diarrhea, often accompanied by vomiting
Isolation of toxigenic organism from stool or vomitus of two or more ill persons
OR
Significant rise in vibriocidal, bacterial-agglutinating, or antitoxin antibodies in acute- and early convalescent-phase sera among persons not recently immunized
OR
Isolation of toxigenic organism from epidemiologically implicated food
Vibrio cholerae –non-O1 and non-O139
1-5 days
Watery diarrhea
Isolation of organism of same serotype from stool of two or more ill persons
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
4-30 hrs
Diarrhea
Isolation of Kanagawa-positive organism from stool of two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of 105 Kanagawa-positive organisms/g from epidemiologically implicated food, provided specimen is properly handled
Yersinia enterocolitica
1-10 days; usually 4-6 days
Diarrhea, abdominal pain (often severe)
Isolation of organism from clinical specimen from two or more ill persons
OR
Isolation of pathogenic strain of organism from epidemiologically implicated food

Table 2: Parasitic Food Diseases (Infections and Intoxication)

Etiologic Agent
Incubation Period
Clinical Syndromes
Confirmation
Cryptosporidium spp.
2-28 days; median: 7 days
Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting; fever
Demonstration of oocysts in stool or in small-bowel biopsy of two or more ill persons
OR
Demonstration of organism in epidemiologically implicated food
Cyclospora cayetanensis
1-14 days; median: 7 days
Diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, weight loss, cramps, gas, fatigue, low-grade fever; may be relapsing or protracted
Demonstration of the parasite by microscopy or molecular methods in stool or in intestinal aspirate or biopsy specimens from two or more ill persons
OR
Demonstration of the parasite in epidemiologically implicated food
Giardia intestinalis
3-25 days; median: 7 days
Diarrhea, gas, cramps, nausea, fatigue
Demonstration of the parasite in stool or small-bowel biopsy specimen of two or more ill persons
Trichinella spp.
1-2 days for intestinal phase; 2-4 wks for systemic phase
Fever, myalgia, periorbital edema, high eosinophil count
Two or more ill persons and positive serologic test or demonstration of larvae in muscle biopsy
OR
Demonstration of larvae in epidemiologically implicated meat

Table 3: Viral Food Diseases (Infections and Intoxication)
Etiologic Agent
Incubation Period
Clinical Syndrome
Confirmation
Hepatitis A
15-50 days; median: 28 days
Jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, anorexia, nausea
Detection of immunoglobulin M antibody to hepatitis A virus (IgM anti-HAV) in serum from two or more persons who consumed epidemiologically implicated food
Norovirus (NoV)
12-48 hrs (median 33 hours)
Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, low-grade fever
Detection of viral RNA in at least two bulk stool or vomitus specimens by real-time or conventional reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
OR
Visualization of viruses (NoV) with characteristic morphology by electron microscopy in at least two or more bulk stool or vomitus specimens
OR
Two or more stools positive by commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
Astrovirus
12-48 hrs
Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, low-grade fever
Detection of viral RNA in at least two bulk stool or vomitus specimens by real-time or conventional reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
OR
Visualization of viruses (NoV) with characteristic morphology by electron microscopy in at least two or more bulk stool or vomitus specimens
OR
Two or more stools positive by commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA)


Fungal Intoxication:
·         Aflatoxicosis is caused by aflatoxins produced by the fungi, e.g. Aspergillus flavus.
·         Four types of aflatoxins have been described i.e. aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2.
·         Animals consuming feeds contaminated with aflatoxin B1 leads to secretion in the milk of aflatoxin
M1 and M2

Table 4: Chemical Food Intoxication
Etiologic Agent
Incubation Period
Clinical Syndrome
Confirmation
Marine toxins – Ciguatoxin
1-48 hrs; usually 2-8 hrs
Usually gastrointestinal symptoms followed by neurologic symptoms (including paresthesia of lips, tongue, throat, or extremities) and reversal of hot and cold sensation
Demonstration of ciguatoxin in epidemiologically implicated fish
OR
Clinical syndrome among persons who have eaten a type of fish previously associated with ciguatera fish poisoning (e.g., snapper, grouper, or barracuda)
Marine toxins – Scombroid toxin (histamine)
1 min-3 hrs; usually 1 hr
Flushing, dizziness, burning of mouth and throat, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms, urticaria, and generalized pruritis
Demonstration of histamine in epidemiologically implicated fish
OR
Clinical syndrome among persons who have eaten a type of fish previously associated with histamine fish poisoning (e.g., mahi-mahi or fish of order Scomboidei)
Marine toxins – Paralytic or neurotoxic shellfish poison
30 min-3 hrs
Paresthesia of lips, mouth or face, and extremities; intestinal symptoms or weakness, including respiratory difficulty
Detection of toxin in epidemiologically implicated food
OR
Detection of large numbers of shellfish-poisoning-associated species of dinoflagellates in water from which epidemiologically implicated mollusks are gathered
Marine toxins – Puffer fish, tetrodotoxin
10 min-3 hrs; usually 10-45 min
Paresthesia of lips, tongue, face, or extremities, often following numbness; loss of proprioception or floating sensations
Demonstration of tetrodotoxin in epidemiologically implicated fish
OR
Clinical syndrome among persons who have eaten puffer fish
Heavy metals (Antimony, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Tin, Zinc)
5 min-8 hrs; usually <1 hr="" o:p="">



Source: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/investigating-outbreaks/

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