Top 8 Pathogens. Print this document and study these pathogens. You will be better prepared to challenge the ADVANCED.fst exam.

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1 Top 8 Pathogens The top 8 pathogens outlined in this document often cause foodborne illness in Canada. Take particular note of the bolded/underlined sections, as they are especially important. Print this document and study these pathogens. You will be better prepared to challenge the ADVANCED.fst exam. Retain this document for future reference. This information will help keep your business safe. 85 Scarsdale Rd, Suite 101 Toronto, ON M3B 2R2 Phone: Fax: Toll Free:

2 Top 8 Pathogens: Norovirus and Norwalk Viruses Type of illness: Infection Noroviruses or Noro-like viruses are a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis, an illness that usually includes diarrhea and/or vomiting. Noroviruses are commonly found throughout North America and are very infectious. Noroviruses got their name after a 1972 outbreak in Norwalk, Ohio, when one virus was first identified. Both of these strains are members of a group called caliciviruses and are associated with many foodborne illness outbreaks. Norovirus infection affects the stomach and intestines, causing gastroenteritis. Often mistaken for the stomach flu, gastroenteritis is an inflammatory condition inducing symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache and low grade fever. This virus can be in a sick person s body fluids from the day they feel ill to as long as 2 weeks after they feel better. This highly contagious micro-organism is very small and it only takes a few of them to make people very sick. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 65% of all estimated foodborne illnesses in Canada are caused by Noroviruses. Nausea Abdominal pain Headache Low-grade fever Raw shellfish Raw vegetables Salads Prepared salads Water contaminated from human feces Obtain shellfish from approved sources Avoid fecal contamination from employees by practicing good personal hygiene Thoroughly cook food to minimum safe internal temperatures Use chlorinated water

3 Top 8 Pathogens:Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) Type of illness: Infection Hepatitis is a serious illness which causes inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis A is a communicable disease associated with many foodborne illnesses. HAV infection is primarily transmitted by the fecaloral route, by either person-to-person contact or consumption of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A is particularly important to the food industry because it has an incubation period of days. This means that a foodservice worker can be infected with the virus for a period of up to 6 weeks without showing symptoms of the illness. During this time, food can become contaminated through poor personal hygiene by food handlers. Other routes of contamination include ready-to-eat foods and vegetables washed in non-potable water, and shellfish harvested from fecal-contaminated water. Fever Loss of appetite Nausea Myalgia Malaise Jaundice Dark-coloured urine or lightcoloured stools at onset Humans (direct oral-fecal route) Uncooked foods Produce such as green onions, lettuce, and carrots Salads and sandwiches Shellfish Glazed or iced baked goods Unpasteurized dairy products Contaminated water Good personal hygiene Avoid touching food with bare hands Exclude infected foodservice workers Thoroughly cook food to proper internal temperatures Clean and sanitize surfaces Vaccines are available

4 Top 8 Pathogens: Clostridium Perfringens Gastroenteritis Type of illness: Toxin-mediated Infection Clostridium perfringens gastroenteritis occurs within 8-22 hours. The symptoms are somewhat mild with abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dehydration. The Clostridium perfringens bacterium is found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals as well as in soil. A person can become infected with Clostridium perfringens from eating contaminated food. Once in the intestines, these bacteria produce toxins. It is the toxins that cause human illness. Implicated foods are cooked meat, meat products, poultry, gravy, and beans that have been cooled slowly. To help prevent this Toxin-mediated Infection, use careful time and temperature control when cooling and reheating cooked meat, poultry and bean dishes, and reheat products to 74⁰C (165⁰F) for at least 15 seconds within two hours. Abdominal pain Dehydration Animals Cooked meat Meat products Gravy Beans cooled slowly Use careful time-temperature control when cooling and reheating to 74 o C (165 o F) for at least 15 seconds within 2 hours

5 Top 8 Pathogens: Campylobacteriosis Type of illness: Infection Campylobacter jejuni bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts of domestic and wild animals and birds. The bacteria have also been found in untreated surface water (caused by fecal matter in the environment) and manure. C. jejuni is the most common type of campylobacter bacteria involved in human illness. Campylobacteriosis is an infection that takes 2 to 5 days to show symptoms of diarrhea (watery or bloody), fever, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, and muscle pain. of campylobacteriosis can feel like stomach flu, but they can also develop into serious illness with long-lasting effects. High risk foods are unpasteurized milk and dairy products, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, and nonchlorinated water. To help prevent Campylobacteriosis, thoroughly cook food to minimum safe internal temperatures, and avoid cross-contamination. (watery or bloody) Fever Nausea Abdominal pain Headache Muscle pain Domestic and wild animals (intestinal tract) Unpasteurized milk and dairy products Pork Beef Lamb Non-chlorinated water Thoroughly cook food to minimum safe internal temperatures

6 Top 8 Pathogens: Salmonella Type of illness: Infection The Salmonella bacterium is found in domestic and wild animals, humans (intestinal tract), especially as carriers. High risk foods are poultry and poultry salads, meat and meat products, fish, shrimp, sliced melons, sliced tomatoes, milk, shell eggs, egg custards and sauces, and other protein foods. You can also be exposed to Salmonella bacteria by not thoroughly cleaning surfaces that have been used to prepare raw meat and other foods in the kitchen. Salmonellosis is an infection that takes 6-48 hrs. (usually hrs.) to show symptoms of abdominal pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea. To prevent Salmonellosis, avoid cross-contamination, refrigerate food, thoroughly cook whole poultry to at least 85⁰C (185⁰F), rapidly cool cooked meats and meat products, and avoid contamination from foodservice employees by practicing good personal hygiene. Abdominal cramps Headache Nausea, vomiting Fever Animals (wild and domestic) (especially as carriers) Meat Fish and shrimp Sliced melons and tomatoes Shell eggs Egg custard and sauces Other protein food Refrigerate foods Cook whole poultry to 85 o C (185 o F)/Poultry pieces to 74 o C (165 o F) Rapidly cool cooked meat Avoid contamination from employees by practicing good personal hygiene

7 Top 8 Pathogens: E.coli 0157:H7 Enteritis Type of illness: Toxin-mediated Infection Escherichia coli, usually called E. coli, refers to a large group of bacteria, commonly found in the intestinal tracts of animals, particularly cattle and humans. While most strains of E. coli are harmless, some strains, such as E. coli O157: H7, can make people sick. Serious complications of an E. coli O157:H7 infection can include kidney failure. E. coli gastroenteritis has an onset of 2-9 days. The symptoms are diarrhea (watery, could become bloody), severe abdominal cramps and pain, vomiting, and occasional low-grade fever. It can progress to life threatening kidney and organ failure. High risk foods are raw and undercooked ground beef, imported cheeses, unpasteurized milk, roast beef, dry salami, apple cider, and commercial mayonnaise. To help prevent E. coli, thoroughly cook ground beef to at least 71⁰C (160⁰F) for 15 seconds, avoid cross-contamination, and avoid fecal contamination from foodservice employees by practicing good personal hygiene. (watery or bloody) Severe abdominal cramps and pain Occasional lowgrade fever Animals, particularly cattle Raw and undercooked beef Imported cheeses Unpasteurized milk, apple cider, apple juice Roast beef Dry salami Commercial mayonnaise Thoroughly cook ground beef to 71 o C (160 o F) for 15 seconds Avoid fecal contamination from employees by practicing good personal hygiene Top 8 Pathogens: Shigella

8 Type of illness: Infection Shigellosis is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella. These bacteria are commonplace in Canada, and live in the intestines of infected persons. Shigellosis is an infection that takes hrs. to show symptoms of diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, chills, lassitude, or dehydration. Its source is the intestinal tracts of humans and flies. High risk foods are salads (potato, tuna, shrimp, chicken and macaroni), lettuce, raw vegetables, milk and dairy products, poultry, moist and mixed foods. To help prevent Shigellosis, avoid cross-contamination, avoid fecal contamination from foodhandlers by practicing good personal hygiene, use sanitary food and water sources, control flies, and rapidly cool foods. (sometimes bloody) Abdominal pain Fever Chills Lassitude Dehydration Flies Salads (potato, tuna, shrimp, chicken and macaroni) Lettuce Raw vegetables Milk and dairy products Moist and mixed foods Avoid fecal contamination from foodservice employees by practicing good personal hygiene Use sanitary food and water sources Control flies Rapidly cool foods Top 8 Pathogens: Staphylococcal Gastroenteritis

9 Type of illness: Intoxication Staphylococcal gastroenteritis is a foodborne intoxication with a rapid onset as short as 1-2 hours. are normally nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. In more severe cases, headache, muscle cramping, and changes in blood pressure and pulse rate can occur. Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria comonly found on the skin, hair, nose, throat and infected sores of people as well as in animals. As cross-contamination is the greatest risk, all protein foods can be infected. High risk foods are ham and other meats, poultry, warmed-over foods, egg products, milk and other dairy products, custards, potato salads, cream filled pastries, and other protein foods. To help prevent this intoxication, avoid contamination from bare hands by practicing good personal hygiene, and excluding foodhandlers with skin infections from food preparation. Prevent the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and the production of toxins by properly refrigerating food, and rapidly cooling prepared foods. Nausea Abdominal cramps Headache Muscle cramping Change in blood pressure, pulse rate Skin Hair Nose Throat Infected sores Animals Reheated foods Ham and other meats Egg products and other proteins Wash hands Good personal hygiene Exclude sick food handlers with skin infections from food preparation Properly cool and refrigerate food