ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on foodborne outbreaks, detection and inactivation methods of Cryptosporidium oocysts in food items, and potential sources of contamination. It analyses management practices to prevent food contamination with Cryptosporidium spp. Foodborne outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have been reported since the early 1980s, parallel to the surge of reports of Cryptosporidium in human populations. Cryptosporidium has been identified from several food commodities, mostly fruits, vegetables, and shellfish. The national estimates of the burden, trends, and sources of specific foodborne diseases in the United States are determined by FoodNet. FoodNet is the principal foodborne disease monitoring component of the Centers for Disease Control’s emerging infections program. Baseline data for foodborne bacteria were collected in 1995, and in 1997 Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora were included in this surveillance program. The first well-documented foodborne outbreak of cryptosporidiosis was reported in central Maine in 1993.
