This document provides an introduction to foodborne pathogens and diseases. It discusses several bacterial pathogens that produce toxins causing illness, including Staphylococcus, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium botulinum. It also covers several foodborne infections caused by ingesting pathogenic microbes such as Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio parahemolyticus, and E. coli. Other sections discuss toxic infections caused by enterotoxins, naturally occurring toxicants like Lathyrism, and the epidemiology and economic costs of foodborne diseases in India.

1. NAME : ANIMA VERMA
CLASS : M.SC 1ST YEAR
BIOTECHNOLOGY
ROLL NO : BT2201
SUBJECT: MICROBIOLOGY
TOPIC : INTRODUCTION TO FOOD
BORNE PATHOGENS
COLLEGE:. ISABELLA
THOBURN COLLEGE.

2. • Acknowledgement
u I would like to thank this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to
all those people without whom this project could have been never
completed. I would like to extend my gratitude to respected Maj.
Dr. Neerja Masih mam, Head of biotechnology for her constant
guidance and providing a very nice platform to learn.
u I would like to thank my respected teacher Dr. Vidya Meenakshi for
her constant encouragement and moral support which I would
have been never able to give my best. Their guidance and
supervision was very helpful in bringing this work to conclusion.

3. • Bacterial intoxications
bacteria produce a toxin that
cause illness. Vomiting type
outbreaks have usually been
associated with rice products,
and other strachy foods such as
potatoes, pasta and cheese
products .

4. A. Staphylococcal poisoning.
most common infection caused by
staphylococcus aureus
Enterotoxins produced are heat stable.
Toxin causes gastroenteritis. Symptoms
appears like nausea , vomitting, abdominal
pain, diarrhoea, dehydration etc.
Prevention include: following proper hygiene
in the preparation and storage is the key to
avoid infection.

5. B. Bacillus cereus poisoning
caused by bacillus cereus infection
May cause nausea abdominal pain or
diarrhoea.
Symptoms appear within 15mins or 11 hours.
Such as dishes like rice, pudding, mashed
potatoes, vegetable soups etc.
Prevention include: proper hygiene before
and after cooking.
Proper storage of food till usage and avoid
frequent handling .

6. C. Botulism
infection by clostridium botulinum.
Diseases starts within 2 hours to 14 days after
ingestion of contaminated food.
Symptoms are nausea, vomitting, headache,
persistent constipation etc.
Botulism can be prevented by killing C.
Botulism spores in the food. During processing,
eliminating recontamination of processed
food.
Destroying the toxin by proper heating of
processed food and by proper storage.

7. • Food borne infections
uIt’s caused by ingestion of
pathogenic microbes that penetrate
the intestinal mucosa and multiply or
migrate into other tissues where they
multiply.

8. A. Salmonellosis( typhoid)
Incubation period is 6 hours to 3 days and
major symptoms are nausea, diarrhoea and
fever which may last for several days.
Food implicated are egg, meat and milk
&their products.
Infection either comes from product of
infected animal like most meat or milk or from
food handler who is a carrier of infection and
following strict hygiene.
Infection can be prevented by strictly
adhering to good cooking methods.

9. B. Shigellosis ( Bacillary dysentery).
Caused by bacteria of genus shigella and it
can be destroyed by heating.
Most caused by human to human
transmission, contaminated water, milk and
salad preparations.
Incubation period ranges from 1-7 days.
Symptoms are bloody diarrhoea, fever,
nausea and cramps.
Prevention include wash your hands by soap,
don’t swallow the ponds, lakes water etc.
u

10. C. Vibrio para haemoliticus gastroenteritis.
Incubation period is 12-24 hours.
Major symptoms are severe abdominal pain,
Vomiting and diarrhoea.
Sources of contamination are fish,
shellfish,crab and shrimp.
Organism is easily destroyed by heat.
Prevetion include: don’t eat contaminated or
undercooked (raw) seafoods.
Wash your hands properly by touching any
kind of seafoods such as handling shellfish etc.
u

11. D. Entero pathogenic Escherichia coli
diarrhoea.
Presence of E.coli in foods indicates faecal
contamination.
It’s a heat sensitive organism. Pasteurisation and
normal cooking temperature are effective in
destroying the organism.
Symptoms appear within 12-72 hours such as
abdominal pain, diarrhoea, Vomiting and fever are
common.
It can be prevented by adopting strict personal
hygiene and good sanitary practices.

12. E. Hepatitis A.
Infective hepatitis is a viral disease and caused by
faecal contamination which spreads from man to
man. It has long incubation period 15-50 days.
Symptoms inculde fever, abdominal pain,headache
and jaundice.
Contaminated drinking water, shellfish from polluted
water, fruits and vegetables contaminated by
faeces and salads prepared under unhygienic
conditions are implicated.
Prevention include good hygiene of food handlers
and avoiding eating foods If hygiene practiced Is
doubtful.

13. F. Shellfish poisoning.
Shellfish like oysters, mussels and clams are
generally bred in sewage polluted beds or
brackish water.
Poisoning occurs due to accumulated toxins
produced by a dino-flagellate algae
Gonyaulax cantenella in the shellfish.
Shellfish is also usually consumed under
cooked or uncooked hence may have other
pathogenic organisms. Poisoning is usually an
emergency and needs medical advice at the
earliest.

14. • Other toxic infections.
Some food borne toxic infections
are caused by ingestion of large
number of enterotoxigenic
bacteria which while multiplying
in the intestine produce and
release enterotoxins in the
intestine which are responsible
for the symptoms.

15. A. Clostridium perfringens gastroenteritis
common in places where large number of people
eat like in restaurants, institutional canteens, hospitals
etc.
B. Enterotoxigenic E.coli gastroenteritis.
Its one of the chief cause of travellers diarrhoea and
occurs due to contaminated water and improper
food handling.
C. Cholera.
Vibrio Cholera bacterium. Incubation period for
Cholera in few hours to 5 days.
Symptoms include Vomiting and watery diarrhoea
and dehydration.

16. It may turn fatal if not promptly rehydrated.
Cholera can be prevented by proper and safe
disposal of sewage and supply of protected water.
D. Listeriosis
caused by L. monocytogenes . It mostly occur in
pregnant women, newborn children and in people
whose immune system is compromised. The disease
could be fatal.
Milk and diary products, contaminated sea foods,
vegetables and salads are implicated.
Proper cooking and hygiene food handling can
prevent the infection.

17. • Food borne disease due to
naturally occurring toxicants.
Many naturally occurring food toxins have been
linked to human I’ll health and death. Some
important toxins in India are:
Lathyrism
Veno occlusive disease due to ergot alkaloids.
Epidemic dropsy.
Epidemic dropsy occurs due to contamination of
Mustard oil with Argemone mexicana oil, a weed
which grows along with mustard. It may get
mixed accidently or be added for adulteration.
Toxic alkaloid implicated is Sanguinarine. It’s

18. Characterised by nausea, Vomitting, diarrhoea, fever
followed by pheripheral edema, cardia failure and
death. Severe glaucoma may result . Mortality rate is
about 5-50%.
Treatment includes avoiding further exposure and
supportive therapy for cardiac failure. Prevention of
oil contamination by removing Argemone weeds
growing among the oil seed crops is the best
preventive method. Unscrupulous dealers should to
be strictly handled under PFA act.

19. • Epidemiology of food borne disease.
Problems and their prevention have several factors with
closed relationship between them like environmental,
food processing, storage, distribution of food and socio
cultured conditions specific to the country. In India rapid
urbanization, availability of a wide variety of foods and
establishment of several types of food services has all
contributed to the food borne diseases. Example: In India
emergence of 'caterers’ who prepare food, transport and
serve at far place of cooking is popular and increase.
Food habits are changing . Consumption if not prepared
hygienically can lead to diseases. Insufficient cooking of
milk products like poha, Meat and poultry and their bad
storage can lead to the infections.

20. • Economic cost of food borne Diseases.
Food borne disease are the most wide spread
health problem in our country. In addition to
health consequences, economic cost of food
borne diseases such as lost of man days, cost of
treatment, loss of affected food articles etc. can
be huge. So..
BE SAFE AND BE HEALTHY.
Thankyou.