Key foodborne diseases and hazards

Key foodborne diseases and hazards WHO ESTIMATES OF THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF FOODBORNE DISEASES FOODBORNE DISEASES ARE PREVENTABLE. EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY. For more information: www.who.int/foodsafety #SafeFood Source: WHO Estimates of the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases. 2015. © World Health Organization 2015. WHO/FOS/15.4 Bacteria: • Listeria can result in blood poisoning and meningitis, and is usually spread by consuming contaminated raw vegetables, ready-to-eat meals, processed meats, smoked fish or soft cheeses. • Brucella, commonly from unpasteurized milk or cheese of infected goats or sheep, can cause fever, muscle pain or more severe arthritis, chronic fatigue, neurologic symptoms and depression. • Cholera can be caused by consuming food contaminated with Vibrio cholerae. It causes watery diarrhoea that can be fatal within hours if left untreated. Virus: • Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus, transmitted through food contaminated by the faeces of an infected person. It causes jaundice, nausea, anorexia, fever, malaise and abdominal pain. Parasites: • Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondi, spread through undercooked or raw meat and fresh produce, can result in impaired vision and neurological conditions. • Pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) can cause cysts to develop in the brain (cysticercosis), which is the most frequent preventable cause of epilepsy worldwide. • Echinococcus tapeworms can infect humans through food contaminated with dog or fox faeces. They can cause tumours to form in the liver, lungs and brain. • Chinese liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis) commonly contracted through raw and incorrectly processed or cooked fish, can cause bile duct inflammation and cancer. Chemicals and toxins: • Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by mould that grows on grain that has been stored inappropriately, and can cause liver cancer, one of the most deadly forms of cancer. • Cyanide poisoning occurs when inappropriately processed cassava is consumed.