Foodborne Outbreaks - Essay Example

Due Foodborne Outbreaks The more that we discover about this world we live in we realize that amongall of the beautiful things in the world, there are, also, things that are not beautiful. These things can harm us and make us sick. There are over 250 foodborne pathogens and toxins that cause foodborne illness and 48 million different foodborne illnesses that are threatening to human beings who ingest them in their food and drinks. When more than one person becomes ill from the same source it is diagnosed as a foodborne outbreak (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).

Just about any food can become a threat if it has spoiled, however, the foods most commonly associated with leading to foodborne illness include fresh foods and dairy products, like eggs, fish, poultry, and condiments, like mayonnaise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that while there are many measures taken to prevent the possibility of causing an foodborne outbreaks, it is not always easy because the contamination can occur at any point in the food production chain, the fault could lie in the production, the processing, preparation, and distribution; which makes identifying the sources, scope, and efficient treatment incredibly difficult and important (2014).

Foodborne outbreaks may seem uncommon, but are common enough to pose a serious health risk that costs the United States $77 billion per year to address the ,almost 130,000 of hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths caused yearly by foodborne illnesses (Nuzzo & et al, 2013). Determining the range and scope of an outbreak involves a number of factors, including, where and how the contamination occurred, how much was contaminated, where was it sent, and how many people have been in contact with or consumed it.

However, the most essential step and greatest challenge is identifying which of the millions of possible culprits is responsible for the outbreak. The majority of foodborne illness outbreaks is an important issue for a number of governmental agencies that work to make certain that the food that is provided, sold, and consumed by the public is safe (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Most outbreaks can be controlled by the local and state health agencies, however, larger outbreaks will include multiple agencies working together .

(The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). The three federal agencies most closely involved in the occurrences of foodborne outbreaks are the CDC. FDA, and the USDA. The first, again, is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which will lead the investigations into determining the immediate threat and potential spread. The teams will look at the situation from the perspective of Epidemiologists (disease specialists), Microbiologists (germ specialists), Environmental health specialists (clean-up crew), and Regulatory Compliance officers and inspectors (specialist in food safety).

The FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, is an important agency in preventing Foodborne illness outbreaks from ever occurring. They are responsible for monitoring the food products, livestock, and medications and drugs available to the public are safe and healthy for the public to consume, ingest, or interact with. Finally, the USDA, or United States Department of Agriculture, is focused in the farming and livestock industries making certain that the soil, crops, and grazing animals remain healthy and never pose a threat to the public (Nuzzo & et al, 2013).

Of course, we have seen that sometimes the illnesses still manage continue to create health scares on regular bases in the United States every year. The real and most logical priority of all of these agencies should not simply be having treatments available, but in the establishing of stronger and more effective preventative measures. Reformers hope that greater government funding will be earmarked to improve the quality and quantity of health services available. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is an endeavor that hopes to initiate greater preventions and greater detecting the presence of possible foodborne illness closer to its origins; long before the ingredient or product finds itself in the stores where we shop and homes and restaurants where we eat (Nuzzo & et al, 2013).

However, as yet the Act has not been fully implemented, but the CDC and The FDA have worked to include some of the principles of the Act into their organizations today. That said, changes are being made with the goal of making the world a safer place for us all. REFERENCES The Centers for Disease control and Prevention. (2014). Foodborne illness and outbreak investigations. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/investigations.html Nuzzo, J. P., & et al, (2013). When good food goes bad: Strengthening the us response to foodborne disease outbreaks.

Center for Biosecurity of UPMC, 1-56. Retrieved from http://www.upmchealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2013/2013-03-05-when_food_goes_bad.pdf