The Most Common Foodborne Illnesses
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, forty-eight million individuals get sick from foodborne diseases or food poisoning every year and thousands die. Those most at risk from foodborne illness include the very young and the very old, those with compromised immune systems, and pregnant women. Eating food contaminated by bacteria or viruses results in some or all of these symptoms: nausea, stomach pains, cramps, diarrhea, and fever. More severe cases require hospitalization for convulsions, bloody diarrhea, organ failure, and miscarriage. While there are more than two hundred foodborne diseases identified, a few are more common than others and sicken individuals more often. You are probably familiar with the foodborne illness outbreaks in 2018 like contaminated breakfast cereal and contaminated romaine lettuce. Read on for more about recent common foodborne illness outbreaks, their causes, and prevention.