A Sickening Situation

Foodborne illnesses in the United States are quite common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne microorganisms cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and over 5,000 deaths each year.

     Some of the most common causes of foodborne illness include microorganisms, marine organisms, fungi and chemical contaminants. An incubation period ensues from the time the organisms or contaminants enter the body until the first signs or symptoms appear. Incubation may last hours or days, depending on each patient's immune response. Usually, the more contaminated food that is swallowed, the faster a person will become ill. While digesting, the contaminated microbes may stay in the intestines, produce toxins absorbed into the bloodstream or invade the body tissues, depending on the microbe. With contaminated microbes in the body, the patient will begin to exhibit physical symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea. Because of the similarity and common symptoms, specific microbes are seldom identified as causing foodborne illnesses; however, during a known outbreak, when a particular area experiences a sudden increase in the incidence of a specific disease, the microbes may be identified.

Who's At Risk?
     Ninety-two-year-old John is homebound. You and your partner respond to John's home, where his daughter has found him with severe abdominal cramping. When you arrive, you notice dishes stacked on the counter and in the sink, along with open containers of food covering the counters and kitchen table. John reports that he has experienced diarrhea and vomiting and has not been able to keep food or liquids down for the last two days. Your assessment shows that John has a fever of 102°F, is dehydrated and needs transport.

     Elderly adults are not only more at risk for foodborne illness, but once infected, it may take them longer to recover. As the body ages, the ability to fight unwanted types of bacteria diminishes, due to a decrease in stomach acid secretion. In addition to the body's inability to rid itself of unwanted bacteria, the elderly often have a diminished sense of taste and smell. Medications, illnesses and age all contribute to the desensitization of smell and taste. While healthy younger adults may be able to smell or taste rotten food, seniors may not sense that their milk is spoiling or the chicken is bad. There are also sociological risk factors. Elders often rely on others to provide their food, and, if it becomes spoiled or rotten, they have no other option than to eat the contaminated food.

     Individuals who are infected with AIDS are more prone to infections from foodborne illnesses because of compromised immune systems.¹ According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), those infected with AIDS are 100 times more frequently affected by Salmonella-the bacteria found on raw or undercooked meats and eggs-than other healthy adults. If someone with AIDS becomes infected with Salmonella, the virus can cause a more severe illness, such as pneumonia, or lead to additional complications, including death.

     Pregnant women undergo major hormonal changes that lead to more susceptibility to foodborne illnesses for both the mother and unborn child. Additionally, newborns are at risk for foodborne illnesses because of underdeveloped immune systems. Salmonella can be passed to bottle-fed infants through unclean bottles.²