Food Safety

Foodborne Pathogens- Dealing with Emerging Risks

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Infections caused by microbes that contaminate the food supply are a frequent reminder of the complex food web that links us with animal, plant, and microbial populations around the world. In the United States, an estimated 46 million foodborne infections occur each year, along with 250,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths . While all are at risk, the consequences are the most severe in the vulnerable populations of the very young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Of the many pathogens that can contaminate food, some, like norovirus and Salmonella serotype Typhi, are sustained in human reservoirs and contaminate the food supply via the excreta of infected humans. Many others are sustained in animal reservoirs and contaminate our food supply because they are present in the flesh, milk, or eggs in the living animal, or because they are in the excreta of infected animals that subsequently contaminate the foods we eat. Some pathogens persist in the environment, or in multiple hosts, and can contaminate the foods we eat via pathways that reflect the variety of ecosystems that make up our food supply.