There are some other types of bacteria which are implicated in food poisoning that are much less common, see below: Listeria Monocitogenes This organism is often found in soft cheeses and pates and starts to grow at temperatures as low as 3˚c. It has been the cause of a number of food poisoning outbreaks over recent years. This type of food poisoning is usually only a problem in pregnant women, the elderly, and the very young or sick and infirm, none of whom you should expect to find offshore on a regular basis! Vibrio parahaemolitcus Not very common Bacillus cereus Commonly found in rice and spices. The bacterium causes two different effects. Type one results in vomiting only Type two which predominantly causes diarrhoea Both types are normally self-limiting, meaning they only last for 12-24hrs after ingestion of contaminated food and often go unreported. Escherichia coli This cause Gastroenteritis and is the usual cause of travellers’ diarrhoea. Campylobacter This is found in chickens and seems to be an increasing cause of gastrointestinal symptoms but is rarely food borne. We will discuss food borne diseases later in this section. Bacterial effects A bacterium affects the human body by either: Attacking the gut wall due to their large numbers, for example Salmonella Producing toxins as they grow which affect the system directly, for example, Staphylococcus aureus. These are known as exotoxins Producing toxins when they die which affect the system directly, for example, Clostridium perfringens. These are known as endotoxins. Some bacteria, however, produce toxins both as they grow and as they die! Collectively both types of toxins are known as enterotoxins because they affect the gut much in the same way. The difference is often merely the speed with which they affect the human body. A bacteria that produces toxins as a by-product of growth will have a faster effect on the human body than one that must first grow and then die before producing toxins. Here are some group causes of food poisoning Microbiological: Bacteria / Viruses
There are some other types of bacteria which are implicated in food poisoning that are much less common, see below: Listeria Monocitogenes This organism is often found in soft cheeses and pates and starts to grow at temperatures as low as 3˚c. It has been the cause of a number of food poisoning outbreaks over recent years. This type of food poisoning is usually only a problem in pregnant women, the elderly, and the very young or sick and infirm, none of whom you should expect to find offshore on a regular basis! Vibrio parahaemolitcus Not very common Bacillus cereus Commonly found in rice and spices. The bacterium causes two different effects. Type one results in vomiting only Type two which predominantly causes diarrhoea Both types are normally self-limiting, meaning they only last for 12-24hrs after ingestion of contaminated food and often go unreported. Escherichia coli This cause Gastroenteritis and is the usual cause of travellers’ diarrhoea. Campylobacter This is found in chickens and seems to be an increasing cause of gastrointestinal symptoms but is rarely food borne. We will discuss food borne diseases later in this section. Bacterial effects A bacterium affects the human body by either: Attacking the gut wall due to their large numbers, for example Salmonella Producing toxins as they grow which affect the system directly, for example, Staphylococcus aureus. These are known as exotoxins Producing toxins when they die which affect the system directly, for example, Clostridium perfringens. These are known as endotoxins. Some bacteria, however, produce toxins both as they grow and as they die! Collectively both types of toxins are known as enterotoxins because they affect the gut much in the same way. The difference is often merely the speed with which they affect the human body. A bacteria that produces toxins as a by-product of growth will have a faster effect on the human body than one that must first grow and then die before producing toxins. Here are some group causes of food poisoning Microbiological: Bacteria / Viruses
8-DDRC-Food-Hygiene-Offshore-Version1-2.docx