redone rough of what bacteria causes food poisoning…

The most common food pathogens are salmonella, Escherichia coli (also known as E coli), campylobacter, and calicivirus (also called norovirus). There are actually many types of Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella serotype Enteritidis are the most common in the United States. Salmonella Typhi, also known as Typhoid Fever, is one strain (of salmonella) that infected people in the early 1900s. Mary Mallon was the symptomless carrier of the typhoid bacteria. People who ate food prepared and cooked by her were sickened. Some even died. After confirming that she carried the typhoid bacterium, the New York Health Authorities forbid her to cook for others. Her denial of being the cause of spreading illness and insistence to keep cooking for others immortalized Mary Mallon as “Typhoid Mary” in our history books. Even in the online dictionary (http://ww.dictionary.com) “Typhoid Mary” is recorded as a term for “a carrier or transmitter of anything undesirable, harmful, or catastrophic.” Campylobacter is usually acquired by eating undercooked chicken or other food that has been contaminated with juices dripping from raw chicken. According to the CDC website, E coli “infections start … when you get tiny (usually invisible) amounts of human or animal feces in your mouth.” Many of our foods are contaminated while still in the field from the water it is irrigated with. Water can be contaminated by wild animals, runoff from livestock pastures, or leaky waste lagoons at industrial farming. Farmers are supposed to test their water supply.
Norovirus has gained notoriety for its constant prevalence on cruise ships. Plaguing both the ships’ crews and vacationers alike, it is steadily becoming known as the cruise ship sickness. It is spread primarily from one infected person to another. According to the CDC, “Infected kitchen workers can contaminate a salad or sandwich as they prepare it…” To prevent infection from all of these food borne illnesses, good hygiene is a must. Because food poisoning is a serious issue, food servers are required to acquire a Food Handler’s Permit within thirty days of obtaining employment at a food service establishment. The course is available online at http://www.orfoodhandlers.com/ and must be renewed every three years. The training is designed to teach food workers the proper way to prepare, store, and serve foods safe for eating. The online booklet is 48 pages and covers topics from when and how to wash your hands (sanitizers are not an acceptable substitution), to temperatures needed to thoroughly cook food items, such as hamburger, eggs, and chicken.

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