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.