People can get sick from contaminated food and water any place in the world, including the US. Yesterday at the supermarket I found that the produce shelves had been striped of Romaine lettuce because of a recent E. coli outbreak.
But the incidence of infection is higher in poorer countries that have less developed sanitation and water purification systems, poorer refrigeration systems, and less sophisticated food-handling programs or public health programs.
Anyone can get sick, folks with a strong immune systems and general good health are less susceptible but they can still become ill - especially if they are exposed to a large dose of the pathogens, and some species and strains of germs are more virulent than others.
Some populations are much more susceptible to illness, like infants and children, pregnant women, the elderly, diabetics, and individuals with compromised immune systems. And the people that take care of these groups, like parents taking care of children, also have a higher risk of infection.
Some people get a mild bout of illness, recover and then become carriers, ever heard of Typhoid Mary?
Sometimes the illness is rather mild but in other cases it can be quite severe. The infectious microorganisms ulcerate your intestinal track and you are bleeding internally, the germs can also invade your bloodstream and cause sepsis, a life-threatening disease.
The worldwide statistics on food and water borne diseases, according to the World Health Organization, are:
- Diarrheal diseases are the most common illnesses resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, causing 550 million people to fall ill and 230 000 deaths every year.
Food safety
Although it takes a long time to develop it and a short time to lose it.
