PA Key’s August Health Trend is Foodborne Illnesses in Wake of Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

In the wake of the national cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting Americans this summer, The Pennsylvania Key’s August health trend is preventing food poisoning.

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Food Safety Matters: Preventing Food Poisoning discusses how, each year, roughly 48 million - or one in six Americans (16.7%) gets food poisoning after eating contaminated food.

Foodborne illnesses occur when viruses, bacteria, parasites, or toxins (poisons) produced by them get into the foods we get. Some examples include cyclospora, listeria, salmonella, STEC, vibrio, shigella and yersinia.

Anyone can get food poisoning, but children are more likely to be affected and typically have a more serious illness, the PA Key wrote. 

Children under age 5 are at increased risk for food poisoning because their immune systems are still developing, so their body’s ability to fight germs and sickness isn’t as strong. Food poisoning can be particularly dangerous for them because illness can lead to diarrhea and dehydration. 

Some resources on the topic include:

• How to Recognize and Prevent Cyclosporiasis, ELRC Region 5

• Food Safety Matters: Preventing Food Poisoning, The Pennsylvania Key

• Unsafe Food Causes 866 Million Illnesses and 1.5 Million Deaths Annually, Young Children at Highest Risk, World Health Organization (WHO)