Foodborne Illnesses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are about 48 million foodborne illnesses reported in the United States every year. Of these, at least 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die after eating food contaminated by a variety of pathogens (CDC, 2011). Each pathogen lives in a medium specific to it and is transmitted in its own way. According to the CDC, the top five pathogens that contribute to foodborne illnesses in the United States are Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter spp., and Staphylococcus aureus.
Norovirus is highly contagious, and it is the leading cause of foodborne ...