BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW AND BERNICE BORN
Every year billions of people experience a foodborne disease (FBD) without ever knowing that their illness was caused by food.
WiRED International now offers a Foodborne Diseases Module, which describes FBDs, identifies their causes and tells how to avoid contracting them.
People develop FBDs, also known as food poisoning, from eating food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances. The more than 250 FBDs include botulism, E. coli, hepatitis A, listeria, norovirus and salmonella. Common symptoms are gastrointestinal disruptions such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Serious consequences include kidney and liver failure, brain and neurological disorders, reactive arthritis, cancer and death.
FBDs are a common and costly public health problem, but they are preventable. FBDs are spread by contact with animals, feces, hands, and water that is used for washing or drinking. Preventive measures cover safe food handling in the food industry and at home and the proper slaughtering of animals. Hand washing cannot be emphasized enough.
FBDs can cause serious and widespread outbreaks such as cholera or can cause an unpleasant but quickly passing stomach complaint. Getting educated about FBDs is important to everyone’s health. Go to WiRED’s module on FBDs to learn how to prevent and treat them.