By haleywillard
March 3, 2014 12:17 PM
The
expression, “there must be something in the water,” couldn’t be more
appropriate in describing what happens when harmful bacteria taints the
food or water we consume.
The expression, “there
must be something in the water,” couldn’t be more appropriate in
describing what happens when harmful bacteria taints the food or water
we consume. Whether from a simple stomach bug or a serious case of
salmonella, millions around the world suffer from illnesses, often
life-threatening, that are caused by something they ate or drank.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates
that roughly 48 million people — without accounting for the millions of
unreported cases — in the United States alone are infected each year
with foodborne illnesses. Millions more suffer in countries all over the world, often times facing hospitalization, permanent symptoms, and even death.
In Haiti, residents are currently suffering from the worst cholera outbreak
in history. Originating from contamination of the country’s main water
source, the deadly disease has so far infected more than 600,000 people
and has killed more than 8,000.
In 2006, 152 people who attended a local village Buddhist festival in Thailand were infected with botulism
after eating locally-made bamboo shoots at the festival. One hundred of
the people infected were hospitalized and 40 required respirators to
breathe.
Thirty-three years ago in Spain, 25,000 people fell severely ill, some permanently disabled, and 1,000 died in an outbreak
caused by the consumption of poisoned cooking oil. Doctors called the
disease “atypical pneumonia,” which presented flu-like symptoms,
including fever, vomiting, nausea, and breathing difficulties as well as
fluid buildup in the lungs, skin rashes, and muscle pain.
An E. coli outbreak
in Germany in 2011 was the country’s biggest foodborne bacterial
outbreak for six centuries. The disease caused more than 3,100 cases of
diarrhea, more than 850 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome
(HUS) — a condition that can lead to kidney failure — and 53 deaths.
These are just a few examples of how foodborne diseases can originate
from a single food or drink source and spread to thousands, even
millions, of people in a short time, leaving a detrimental impact on a
society.[slideshow:873571]
Cholera, botulism, and E. coli, along with many others, are some of the most commonly occurring
foodborne illnesses, typically originating from contaminated water, raw
foods of animal origin, fruits and vegetables contaminated with animal
waste or unclean water, raw sprouts, unpasteurized fruit juices and
cider, or foods that have come into contact with someone who is sick.
Life-threatening diseases like
these may not be easy to avoid in most cases, but knowing how and where
they can occur could possibly save one or thousands of lives. Read on
for more foodborne illnesses that have occurred around the world.
Haley WIllard is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter @haleywillrd.
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