Food Borne Diseases

Description

Food borne illness/ food borne disease and or food poisoning, is any illness resulting from the food spoilage of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms. Food borne illness usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or food storage. Good hygiene practices before, during, and after food preparation can reduce the chances of contracting an illness. Regular hand-washing is one of the most effective defences against the spread of food borne illness. The action of monitoring food to ensure that it will not cause food borne illness is known as food safety.

Food borne disease can also be caused by a large variety of toxins that affect the environment or by chemicals. Food borne illness can also be caused by pesticides or medicines in food and naturally toxic substances like poisonous mushrooms. There are more than 250 known food borne diseases. They can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Natural and manufactured chemicals in food products also can make people sick. Some diseases are caused by toxins from the disease-causing microbe, others by the human body’s reactions to that particular microbe, itself. This book will serve as a valuable reference for public health officers, microbiologists, environmental biologists, consultants in communicable disease control and microbiology students.