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Ready Meals and Microbes

(E. coli photogr. courtesy Shirley Owens, Michigan State University)



INTRODUCTION

LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

CAMPYLOBACTER

SALMONELLA

BACILLUS CEREUS

ESCHERICHIA COLI

STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUROUS

CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS

CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM

SHIGELLA

GIARDIA LAMBLIA



INTRODUCTION
Many bacteria are able to survive food processing by altering their physiological makeup and increasing their tolerance. “Since some Salmonella survive the antibiotic treatment, they will also survive the treatment used in processing plants.” (Gregory Phillips from Iowa State University College). Newly resistant strains of bacteria will emerge the more they can tolerate stress from heat and antibiotics.


LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram positive, food-borne, intracellular bacterial pathogen, that causes meningitis, septicaemia, abortion and gastroenteritis in humans and has a lethality rate of 30%. L. monocytogenes is to be found in the intestinal tract of up to 10% of humans without any symptoms of disease. It has the ability to multiply over a wide range of temperatures. The bacteria is associated with ready meals, raw milk, unpasteurized milk, cheeses, ice-cream, vegetables, raw meat, raw and cooked poultry, raw and cooked fish. L.monocytogenes also survives at fridge-temperatures. Changes in the way food is produced and distributed have increased the potential for diffuse and widespread outbreaks involving many countries. L. monocytogenes mainly affects pregnant women (approx. one sixth of all cases) and adults with a weakened immune system.
A latest published report by the US Safety Consortium shows that Listeria monocytogenes (and Salmonella) bacteria can live on in prepared foods even under the toughest plant safety conditions. According to research by R. Nannapaneni from the University of Arkansas, “the food processing is able to eliminate 99 percent of L. monocytogenes through current sterilisation procedures.” But a few bacteria can live on in a starvation mode … even for many months!
Who will catch LISTERIOSIS?
Women are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. About one-third of listeriosis cases happen during pregnancy.
Newborns rather than the pregnant women themselves suffer the serious effects of infection in pregnancy.
Persons with weakened immune systems.
Persons with cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease.
Persons with AIDS - They are almost 300 times more likely to get listeriosis than people with normal immune systems.
Persons who take glucocorticosteroid medications.

What to do and what to avoid?

AVOID READY MADE MEALS
AVOID CERTAIN CHEESES
(soft cheeses, soft, unpasteurized goats and sheep cheeses, all mould-ripened soft cheeses, all blue veined cheeses)
AVOID UNPASTEURISED MILK and foods made from it
AVOID PATE
If immuno-compromised AVOID RAW FISH
If immuno-compromised AVOID COLD CUTS OR DELI MEATS
Cook all meats and fish thoroughly and avoid reheating
Wash all vegetables before cooking (1 unit cider vinegar, 12 units water


CAMPYLOBACTER is recognised as one of the most important food contaminants and the leading cause of gastroenteritis.
Poultry and raw milk are the top sources. READY MEALS have been the main cause of contaminations in recent times. Processed poultry (READY MEALS, sandwiches, etc.) is prone to contamination after processing. The Campylobacter bacteria will not grow below 30 degrees C but can survive under chilled conditions. Multiplication will start immediately once the food is removed from refrigeration.
Symptoms: Gastro-enteritis characterised by fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhoea that's often bloody. Rarely causes vomiting.
Onset time: One to ten days

Most common strains: Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli


SALMONELLA has up to 2000 serovars. The majority of salmonellosis-cases are caused by food which is infected by the strain Salmonella enterica. It infects cattle, poultry and even domestic animals, like cats. Some research show, that this bacteria is found in veterinary clinics, in farm-households and those of food factory workers. Salmonellosis can be transmitted from person-to-person via the faecal-oral route especially when personal hygiene is inadequate.
Although statistics, favoured by the industry, tell consumers that food is more safe than ever and that less Salmonella was detected in recent years, we have regular outbreaks of salmonellosis… incidences are rising rapidly and alarmingly.
Salmonella and other bacteria are nowadays associated with foods once believed to be incapable of supporting bacterial growth and activity.
Where do we find Salmonella? In raw meats, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products, fish, yeast, coconut, sauces and salad dressing, cake mixes, cream-filled desserts and toppings, dried gelatine, peanut butter, cocoa, and chocolate. Various Salmonella species have long been isolated from the outside of egg shells. A READY MEAL is a ‘perfect’ location for Salmonella.

Symptoms: Vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, headache, fever and general tiredness. Blood poisoning (septicaemia) and inflammation of the abdominal wall (peritonitis) can develop in severe cases.
Onset time: 12-48 hours after eating contaminated food or drink. Acute symptoms usually last between four and seven days, but can last up to three weeks.

BACILLUS CEREUS – the rice loving bacteria.
Bacillus is an endospore forming bacteria. These endospores have a high resistance to hostile environments (heat and chemical resistant) and can survive in hot springs, arctic ice, fresh water, deserts, etc. In the food industry, Bacillus is well known as a ‘spoilage organism’ and is commonly found in cereals, rice, meat products, packet soups, etc.
Bacillus cereus has two food poisoning syndromes:
The EMETIC syndrome with nausea and vomiting (one – five hours after the food is eaten). Boiled, pre-cooked rice, and especially rice from take-away outlets, is often the source of B. cereus but also dairy products and other foods.
The DIARRHOEAL syndrome with abdominal pain and diarrhoea (eight – sixteen hours after consumption). Responsible foods: meat and vegetable dishes, sauces, pastas, desserts, and dairy products.

ESCHERICHIA COLI. Many strains of e-coli are harmless. The bacteria lives in the human intestines and is even a helper to fight harmful bacteria and synthezises vitamins. Some strains cause diseases. Escherichia coli K1 causes meningitis and septicaemia especially in newbornes. The entero-haemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC for short) causes haemorrhage from the digestive tract. In the US it is commonly called the ‘hamburger disease’, because is often associated with minced beef. Just 10 (!) bacteria are enough to contaminate food.
The food poisoning strain E coli O157:H7 lives in cattle, chicken, deer, sheep, goats, and pigs. The carrier-animals are only the reservoir for the bacteria and do not become ill. Outbreaks are also associated with unpasteurized apple and orange juice, unpasteurized milk, alfalfa sprouts, and water. Person-to-person transmission of the bacteria in especially in hospitals, nursing homes and daycare centres is possible.
The mortality rate can be very high: up to 50% in the elderly.
Onset time: 10 – 72 hours after ingesting contaminated food/drink. Symptoms: Abdominal pain, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting.

STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (nickname: staph)
Approximately 40% of all adults carry these bacteria in their noses and 15% in their throats. Occasionally Staphylococci enters the blood stream and causes infections. They can be minor or very serious (meningitis, pneumonia, blood infections). Stapyhlococci also resides in the urinary tract, open wounds and in the vagina. It is known as the “toxic shock syndrome bacteria” which can affect menstruating women especially those using super absorbent tampons (a perfect media for bacterial growth).
MRSA is a meticillin (or other commonly used antibiotics) resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
The bacteria are salt tolerant and can survive in cured products (bacon, ham, pastrami, salami, cheeses) and also in pasta salads, tuna salads/sandwiches, cheese cakes, etc.
How to control the bacteria? Good personal hygiene standards, ensure hot food is stored above 63 C, keep food refrigerated, avoid handling food where possible (tricky for a food manufactory worker) and do not eat, cough or sneeze in food rooms (can be tricky as well).

CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS
C. perfringens, an anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria is found in the environment and foods and is also part of the normal gut flora in humans and animals. Spores of Cl. perfringens survive cooking (can survive boiling for several hours) and germinate to form vegetative cells during cooling and un-refrigerated storage. The bacteria occur mainly in meat, meat products, gravy, and appears often in meals served in schools, hospitals, banquets, buffets, camps.
Onset time: 8 – 22 hours. The disease normally lasts 24 hours. In the elderly or children it may last for up o two weeks. Dehydration and other complications may lead to death.. Necrotic enteritis caused by C. perfringens type C is often fatal. It is a result of ingesting large numbers of the causative bacteria in contaminated foods.

CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM
C. botulinum, a spore forming soil bacteria, affect food with a neutral pH (Type A and B), type E is found in fish. These bacteria grow best in low-oxygen conditions and their spores can survive in a dormant state. C. botulinum causes botulism – a severe type of food poisoning causing paralyses by releasing neurotoxins. The organism is associated with canned, vacuum-packed or modified atmosphere foods. Onset time: 4 hours to eight days. Early signs: weakness, vertigo, breathing problems, double vision, abdominal pain, paralysis (with death possible). The toxins do not set diarrhoea on. C. botulinum is also used to create botox for so called beauty treatments, used to paralyse muscles to relieve wrinkles temporarily. Botox can also be used to treat trigeminal neuralgia. The bacterium is a potential bio-weapon – less than 1 milligram is needed to kill a person.

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM
Cryptosporidium is a one-celled parasite and resides in the intestinal tract of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. In humans, the Cryptosporidium parvum lives on the surface of the cell lining in the small intestines. An infection mainly occurs via drinking water. In most cases, infected persons have just mild diarrhoea and do not seek medical attention. It is therefore difficult o know how many are infected. Infections can be severe in children and immuno-compromised patients. Up to 15 litres stool/d can be produced in these cases. Cryptosporidium parvum can resist many disinfectants, including chlorine (example: pre-washed salads).

SHIGELLA
Shigellosis is more severe than any other form of gastroenteritis. The bacteria multiply in human guts. The released shiga-toxin (similar to the verotoxin of e.coli O157:H7) is very destructive. Humans infected with Shigella develop diarrhoea, fever and severe abdominal cramps. Although Shigellosis resolves within a week, it might take up to several months before bowel habits are back to normal. Complications include severe dehydration, seizures in small children, rectal bleeding and invasion of the blood stream by the bacteria. 3% of patients also develop Reiter’s Syndrome (reactive arthritis).
Shigellosis is endemic throughout the world with over 160 million cases per year of which approx. 1.5 million occur in industrialised countries.
Most cases of contamination occur via faeces-oral pathways, by eating contaminated food (contamination happens if basic hygiene and hand washing habits are inadequate), or through swimming in contaminated water.
Risk foods (outbreaks in the past): airline food, vegetable salad, oysters, shredded lettuce, oysters, and sandwiches.

GIARDIA LAMBLIA
Up to 20% of the world’s population is chronically infected with Giardia lamblia. It exists in two different forms: a) the active trophozoite and the inactive cyst. The cyst can live outside a body for a long time. Once ingested, the stomach acid will change it into the trophozoite form, which will attach to the lining of the small intestine.
Giardiasis ist also spread by faecal-oral contamination. This parasite occurs in fresh water lakes and streams and in recreational water sources such as swimming pools, water parks or hot tubs.
Symptoms like severe abdominal cramping, diarrhoea, fever and nausea can occur three or more weeks after being contaminated. In patients who are not treated infections can last for several months or even years.

Food contamination by
ROTAVIRUS
NOROVIRUS
And
HEPTITIS A VIRUS
will follow …

more bacteria to follow:

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Yersinia enterocolitica