Food Poisoning – Glossary of Types

Campylobacter:
Common cause of foodborne gastric illness. Raw and undercooked chicken is a known
source. Pigs, cattle, sheep, birds, dogs, cats and other pets can also be sources of infection.
Can survive vacuum packing but is destroyed by thorough cooking.

Clostridium botulinum:
Very rare but highly dangerous form of food poisoning. Found in the soil and aquatic
environments and in the gut of some animals and fish. Infection occurs when spores
produced germinate in food. Bacteria then grow and produce a highly dangerous toxin.
Spores are very heat resistant so a temperature of 121ºC for three minutes (‘botulinum
cook’) is required to destroy them. Outbreaks have usually involved inadequately cooked
canned products, or damaged cans and inadequately processed low-acid food. Vacuumpacked products and bottled flavoured oils also known to be a risk.

Clostridium perfringens:
Found everywhere in the environment: in soil, the gut of man and animals. Spores are
resistant to heat, and can cause illness by eating contaminated food, usually stews, curries,
and gravies that have not been properly heated or re-heated. Spores can revert to live,
vegetative bacteria and multiply during slow cooking and re-heating.

Eschericia coli:
There are several strains of E.coli classified by groups. Most are harmless to health but
haemorrhagic strains can cause serious illness and death. Many produce a verocytotoxin
(VTEC) the most common being E.coli 0157 which can lead to haemorrhagic colitis and
haemolytic uraemic syndrome [HUS]. The latter is the most common cause of acute kidney
failure in children. E.coli lives in the intestines of cattle so good practices in raw meat
handling are essential to prevent spread. Acid tolerant, it will persist in frozen and chill
conditions. Anyone with e-coli0157, including household contacts, will be excluded from
work or school by environmental health until two clear faecal samples are confirmed.

Listeria monocytogenes:
Widely distributed in the environment, listeria can be excreted by human and animal carriers.
Any product of animal origin can harbour the bacterium. Often found in chilled or
delicatessen products such as soft cheeses, pate, cook-chill meals and ready to eat
sausages. Listeriosis is a serious health risk to the elderly and pregnant women. A low
temperature, salt tolerant pathogen, it poses special problems for food handling and storage
as standard refrigeration will not inhibit growth and the cells can survive for long periods
even in unfavourable conditions. Can become established in food production environments
surviving in biofilms.

Norovirus:
Passed on by infected humans, an increasingly common cause of illness at weddings and
similar events. Normally transmitted by person to person contact but has been identified as
cause of foodborne infection via infected food handlers contaminating food. Highly infectious
and can survive in environment for weeks causing further infection. Premises where
norovirus is the suspected cause of illness will need to carry out a deep clean using
hypochlorite based solution.

Staphylococcus aureus:
Naturally occurring in humans and found in cuts, pimples, boils and sores on the hands and
in the nose. A heat resistant toxin forms in the food at ambient temperature following growth
of the bacteria. Illness is caused by ingestion of the toxin. Transmitted to food by
contaminated hands or equipment.