Doctor Flags 6 Foodborne Illnesses Deadlier Than Cyclospora as 48 Million Americans Fall Sick Yearly
Updated
Updated · TODAY · Jul 25
Doctor Flags 6 Foodborne Illnesses Deadlier Than Cyclospora as 48 Million Americans Fall Sick Yearly
2 articles · Updated · TODAY · Jul 25
Summary
Six foodborne infections — not cyclospora — pose the sharper threat, an infectious-disease doctor said, highlighting Vibrio vulnificus, listeria, botulism, STEC E. coli, salmonella and toxoplasmosis.
48 million Americans get foodborne illnesses each year, and several of the six can quickly turn severe: Vibrio kills about 1 in 5 patients, while listeria kills about 1 in 6 infected adults.
Certain groups face the greatest danger: liver-disease patients with Vibrio, pregnant people and immunocompromised patients with listeria, infants with botulism, young children with STEC, and fetuses or newborns with toxoplasmosis.
Key warning signs include watery diarrhea after oysters, bloody stool with STEC, descending paralysis in botulism and very high fever with typhoid salmonella; prompt treatment can be lifesaving.
Prevention centers on fully cooking seafood and meat, avoiding raw milk and unpasteurized cheeses, using safe canning and refrigeration, and taking extra care with cat litter, produce and undercooked foods.