What is a pathogen? A pathogen is defined as an organism causing disease to its host, with the severity of the disease symptoms referred to as virulence. Pathogens are taxonomically widely diverse and comprise viruses and bacteria as well as unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes.
A pathogen brings disease to its host. Another name for a pathogen is an infectious agent, as they cause infections. As with any organism, pathogens prioritize survival and reproduction.
Foodborne pathogens are biological agents that can cause a foodborne illness event. Foodborne pathogens are a concern for both public health officials and the food and dairy industries.
There are five main types of pathogens: Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, Protists, Parasitic worms
Common foodborne pathogens including:
*Campylobacter
*Clostridium botulinum
*E. coli O157:H7
*Listeria monocytogenes
*Norovirus
*Salmonella
*Staphylococcus aureus
*Shigella
*Toxoplasma gondii
*Vibrio vulnificus
Campylobacter sp. (mostly associated with raw or undercooked poultry) is the major foodborne pathogen in the U.S. food supply, causing more than two million infections per year, while Salmonella, mostly found in meat, poultry, and eggs, is responsible for more than one million cases of food poisoning.
Foodborne illness occurs when a pathogen is ingested with food and establishes itself (and usually multiplies) in the human host, or when a toxigenic pathogen establishes itself in a food product and produces a toxin, which is then ingested by the human host.
In recent times, a significant number of people have died due to foodborne diseases, and such pathogens are a priority and a critical health issue all over the world. It was reported that roughly one of every six Americans in the U.S.A. get sick, the number of hospitalized patients is 128,000, and 3000 people die due to foodborne diseases annually.
The factors contributing to the emergence of foodborne diseases are changes in human demographics and behavior, technology and industry, and international travel and commerce; microbial adaptation; economic development and land use; and the breakdown of public health measures.
Foodborne pathogens
