ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on foodborne pathogens and the publics response to these threats to public health, as triggers of numerous illnesses. Foodborne pathogens are human-disease-causing microbial agents transmitted through food. It has been estimated that foodborne pathogens are responsible for millions of cases of infectious gastrointestinal diseases each year. Foodborne illness is the result of consumption of food contaminated by pathogenic, or disease-causing, bacteria or viruses. There are around 30 pathogens known to cause foodborne illness. Common foodborne pathogens include the Salmonella species, Campylobacter jejuni, Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, norovirus and hepatitis A virus. Symptoms of a foodborne illness vary depending on the cause. The incubation period ranges from hours to days, depending on the microorganism involved, the contamination level and how much of the food was consumed. Foodborne disease can range from mild and self-limiting vomiting and diarrhoea, sometimes associated with fever and aches, to severe neurological conditions.
