Global Food Safety Issues - Adequate Food for All - page 220

women (spontaneous abortion or stillbirth), meningitis, encephalitis, and septicemia.
Raw milk, cheese, raw vegetables, ice cream, all types of raw meats, and ready-to-
eat meat products have been implicated as vehicles for this pathogen.
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive coccus bacterium that has specific strains
capable of producing a potent heat-stable protein enterotoxin that causes staphylo-
coccal food poisoning. Sewage, dust, water, air, and many food products could be
vehicles for this pathogen to spread. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping are
common symptoms of staphylococcal food poisoning. The onset of these symptoms
are usually rapid, and most cases are acute.
Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium botulinum is a gram-negative, spore-forming, anaerobic bacterium that
produces a potent neurotoxin. Food-borne botulism is contracted by humans who
consume foods containing this neurotoxin. Foods commonly associated with botu-
lism vary according to eating habits in different regions and food preservation but
are most commonly associated with canned foods due to the anaerobic environment.
Symptoms (lassitude, vertigo, double vision, etc.) can occur as quickly as 4 to 8 hours
after ingestion, but in most cases occur in 18 to 36 hours. Infant botulism consists of
symptoms such as poor feeding, lethargy, weakness, and loss of head control.
Vibrio cholerae
Vibrio cholerae is commonly found in marine and estuarine environments of the
United States. Diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever are common symptoms
associated with V. cholerae gastroenteritis. Shellfish harvested from U.S. coastal
waters are mostly implicated in this disease.
Shigella spp.
Shigella spp. are gram-negative, non-spore-forming bacteria that cause shigellosis
(bacillary dysentery). The most common symptoms of shigellosis are abdominal
cramping and pain, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abnormal stools (blood, pus, or mucus),
and tenesmus. Salads that include potato, tuna, macaroni, shrimp, and chicken are
commonly associated food vehicles. Some strains produce Shiga toxins similar to
the verotoxins produced by E. coli O157:H7.
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium perfringens is a gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobe that causes food
poisoning and enteritis necroticans (pig-belly) disease. Intense abdominal cramps
and diarrhea within 8 to 22 hours after consumer foods contaminated with C. perfrin-
gens are symptoms of the common form of perfringens poisoning. Necrotic enteritis,
a rare disease in the United States, is characterized by infection and necrosis of the
intestines that causes septicemia and can lead to death. Temperature abuse of pre-
pared foods (meats and gravy) is the most common cause of perfringens poisoning.