Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

As a result, it is often misdiagnosed as appendicitis. In
some cases,Y. enterocoliticaandY. pseudotuberculosis
infections have also been followed by arthritis. Another
possible rare complication is bacteremia, the entrance of
the bacteria into the blood stream.

Parental concerns

Besides ensuring that food is properly handled in
the home so as to avoid yersinia contamination, parents
should know that Federal Agencies provide detailed
yersinia information to the general public. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitors the
frequency of Y. enterocolitica infections through its

Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network

(FoodNet). CDC also investigates outbreaks to control

them and to learn more about how to prevent these

infections. It also promotes educational campaigns to

increase public awareness about prevention measures.

The United States Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) inspects imported foods and milk pasteurization

facilities while promoting safe food preparation techni-

ques in restaurants and food processing plants. The

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) mon-

itors the health of food animals and the quality of

slaughtered and processed meat. The United States

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates and

monitors the safety of drinking water supplies.

KEY TERMS

Antibiotics—Medicines created using microbes or

fungi that are weakened and taken into the body to

destroy harmful bacteria.

Appendicitis—Inflammation of the appendix, the

small pouch at the start of the large intestine. Patients

with appendicitis often present with pain in the right

lower abdomen.

Bacillus—A genus of bacteria, including spore-forming

bacteria; any rod-shaped bacteria (pl. bacilli).

Bacteria—Microorganisms found in the environ-

ment. Bacteria can multiply quickly in food, and

can cause foodborne illnesses. Not all bacteria are

harmful: some are used to make yogurt and cheese.

Bubonic plague—Deadly infectious disease caused

by theYersinia pestis. Symptoms are chills, fever,

diarrhea, headaches, and the swelling of the

infected lymph nodes, where the bacteria grow

and replicate. If untreated, the rate of mortality

can reach 90%.

Carrier—One who harbors disease organisms in

their body without manifest symptoms, thus acting

as a distributor of infection.

Chitterlings—Name given to the edible intestines of

an animal, usually a pig. They are normally fried.

Contamination—The undesired occurrence of

harmful microorganisms or substances in food.

Cross–contamination—The transfer of harmful bac-

teria from one food to another, or also from hands to

food.

Epidemic—Disease attacking or affecting many

individuals in a community or a population

simultaneously.

Feces—Waste product of digestion formed in the

large intestine. About 75% of its mass is water, the

remainder is protein, fat, undigested roughage, dried

digestive juices, dead cells, and bacteria.

Foodborne illness—Illness caused by pathogenic

bacteria transmitted to humans by food.

Genus—A category ranking below that of family and

above that of species and generally consisting of a

group of species.

Gram–negative—Bacterium that does not retain the

violet stain used in Gram’s method.

Incubation period—The time interval between the

initial exposure to infection and appearance of the

first symptom or sign of disease.

Infectious disease—Disease that can be transmitted

from person to person and that results from the pres-

ence and activity of one or more pathogenic micro-

bial agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi.

Microorganism—A general term for bacteria, molds,

fungus, or viruses, that can be seen only with a

microscope.

Pathogen—A disease-causing microorganism.

Serotype—A subdivision of a species of microorgan-

ism, for example, a bacteria, based upon its partic-

ular antigens.

Species—A category of classification, ranking below

that of genus or subgenus and consisting of related

organisms capable of interbreeding.

Unpasteurized milk—Milk that has not undergone

pasteurization, a heating process that destroys the

most heat–resistant pathogenic or disease-causing

microorganisms.

Yersinia