feces of wild and domestic animals. Other
sources are raw foods of animal origin and
non-chlorinated water from wells, streams,
lakes, and rivers. Also, this microorganism
appears to be transmitted from person to
person. Fortunately, most strains isolated
from food and animals are avirulent.
Y. enterocoliticawill multiply at refriger-
ated temperatures, but at a slower rate than
at room temperature. This facultative anaer-
obic, gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod
is heat-sensitive and is destroyed at tempera-
tures over 60ºC. However, the growth range
of this pathogen is −2 to 45ºC with an opti-
mal temperature of 28 to 29ºC. This
pathogen grows at a pH range of 4.2 to 9.6
and tolerates a high pH effectively. The pres-
ence of this microbe in processed foods sug-
gests post-heat treatment contamination.
Y. enterocoliticahas been isolated from raw
or rare red meats; the tonsils of swine and
poultry; dairy products such as milk, ice
cream, cream, eggnog, and cheese curd; most
seafoods; and fresh vegetables.
Not all types ofY. enterocoliticacause ill-
ness in humans. Yersiniosis can occur in
adults but most frequently appears in chil-
dren and teenagers. The symptoms, which
normally occur from 1 to 3 days after the
contaminated food is ingested, include
fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Vomit-
ing and skin rashes can also occur. Abdom-
inal pain associated with yersiniosis closely
resembles appendicitis. In food-related out-
breaks in the past, some children have had
appendectomies because of an incorrect
diagnosis.
The illness from yersiniosis normally lasts
2 to 3 days, although mild diarrhea and
abdominal pain may persist 1 to 2 weeks.
Death is rare but can occur due to complica-
tions. The most effective prevention measure
against yersiniosis is proper sanitation in
food processing, handling, storage, and
preparation.
Foodborne Illness from Arcobacter butzleri
Ongoing research is being conducted on
this pathogen that is related to the Campy-
lobacterspecies. This microorganism, which
is found in beef, poultry, pork, and non-chlo-
rinated drinking water, occurs in up to 81%
of poultry carcasses. It is more resistant to
irradiation and more tolerant of oxygen than
isC. jejuniand will grow at refrigerated tem-
peratures in atmospheric oxygen.Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by Cryp-
tosporidium parvum, which is transmitted via
fecal contamination of water or food. Onset
time is 1 to 2 weeks and the duration is 2
days to 4 weeks. This bacterium forms
oocysts that persist for long periods in the
environment and are resistant to chlorine.
Oocysts are susceptible to high temperatures,
freezing, dehydration, and sanitizers such as
ozone, hydrogen peroxide, and chlorine diox-
ide. They may be removed from water by fil-
tration. Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis
include watery diarrhea, abdominal pain,
and anorexia. The recent incidence rate for
this illness was 2.4 cases per 100,000 U.S. res-
idents (Davidson, 2003).Foodborne Illness from Helicobacter pylori
Research results suggest that this
pathogen, which is related to Campylobac-
ter, may cause gastroenteritis and is a
causative agent for gastritis, stomach and
intestine ulcers, and stomach cancer in
humans. It is suspected that this microor-
ganism, which is the most common chronic
bacterial infection in humans, can swim
and resist muscle contractions that empty
the stomach during contraction. This bac-
terium is found in the digestive tract of ani-
mals, especially pigs. It is present in 95% of
duodenal and in up to 80% of human gas-
tric ulcer cases, in addition to clinicallyThe Relationship of Microorganisms to Sanitation 49