Top Viruses on the Food we Eat Today
Our food safety at this age has improved to be safer than ever. Control programs for possible food contamination are practiced to reduce foodborne diseases. However, foodborne diseases remain one of the most significant causes of illnesses. It is due to the growing population in our world, affecting our environment where foods are manufactured and sourced.
Despite our belief that the food we buy from the stores is safe, it can still be infested with unknown viruses or bacteria. Many factors come into play, such as manufacturing, food handling, to food distribution. That is why it’s better to know the viruses that could be hiding in our food to consider safety measures and prevent experiencing the illnesses caused by these viruses.
What is a virus, and how can it affect our food?
A virus is an infectious microorganism with a size smaller than bacteria. It can only survive and spread inside a host body. It can quickly spread through human to human contact or can be transmitted through food. Furthermore, it has caused death and the diseases of humankind throughout history. Some cases are the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa and the swine flu virus in 2009.
As mentioned, a virus can only survive and spread as long as it is inside a body. In the case of a foodborne virus, it does not replicate through food contact; however, it happens when:
Food handlers who practice poor hygiene can be infected with the virus and contaminate the food in the process
Food in contact with human sewage, animal waste or polluted water
Consuming animal products which are contaminated with the virus
With this, the foodborne virus has been considered as a global threat to our health. Once the virus has entered our body, it continues to replicate until we already experience symptoms of nausea and vomiting. As a result, it can pose a life-threatening issue for us, or worse, even death.
Top Food Viruses
To be more aware of the viruses present in our commercial food, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the following to be the most common ones:
E.Coli
Also known as Esherichia coli, is a bacteria that thrives in human intestines. Since it is a bacterium, it does not cause disease. However, other types of E.coli can cause severe illnesses.
A person can acquire it through contaminated food and water and it is the primary cause of foodborne outbreaks globally.
Norovirus
It comes from contaminated water, food and can spread in human to human contact.
Once a person has norovirus, it starts to spread within 1-2 days but can show symptoms in as early as 12 hours. He then experiences projectile vomiting, along with cramps and diarrhea. Muscle aches, fever, and headache can also happen.
Salmonella
There are two types of salmonella viruses which are:
Salmonellosis – This can be found in meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables, spices and nuts. Symptoms for this virus include nausea, diarrhea, cramps, vomiting and fever which can last a couple of days to a week.
Enteric Fever – It can often affect travelers who have acquired it outside U.S and is associated with drinking sewage-contaminated water. Symptoms include high fever, constipation, diarrhea, headache, body ache, and drowsiness, extending to typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. If a person with enteric fever is not treated, he may die.
Campylobacter
This virus can only happen sporadically, unlike other viruses such as E.coli and Salmonella.
It can enter our body by consuming unpasteurized milk or cheese, contaminated water, and raw poultry, meat, and seafood.
Symptoms manifest through nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood), cramps, and fever – which typically appear within 2-5 days and can extend to 10 days. It can also spread through bloodstreams and can pose life-threatening infections in our body.
Hepatitis A
One way to become infected with Hepatitis A virus is through consuming contaminated food or water, shellfish and salads, and other foods linked to this virus. Once a person is infected, he experiences low appetite, fever, vomiting, nausea, muscle aches, diarrhea, and yellowish skin and eyes.
The illness starts 2 to 4 weeks after eating the contaminated food and minimizes itself in 1 to 2 weeks.
Listeria
It is one of the least common viruses, but it can cause death when a person has acquired it. It can manifest in person through:
Mild to intense symptoms on nausea, aches, vomiting, fever, and sometimes diarrhea, which resolves itself after a while.
Invasive Listeriosis, which is a deadlier form of the virus that infects the gut, blood or brain. It can cause a blood infection, meningitis (brain infection), and even fatal problems. Pregnant women with listeria can experience miscarriage, preterm labor, severe illness, or death of the baby.
Conclusion
While several viruses are commonly associated with food, building awareness of the importance of clean and good food is necessary. The next time you buy and prepare your food; do your research beforehand on anything related to food and health. After all, we can prevent the spread of the virus as long as we practice hygiene and sanitation
