6. Ground Turkey
Cause & Effect: Salmonella Heidelberg
How did you get it? You ate ground turkey patties that was infected with this strain of salmonella and did not cook it properly. Ground turkey should always be cooked at 165 Fahrenheit.
Incubation period: 12 to 72 hours
Historical duration: September 2011
Symptoms: diarrhea, loose stools, vomiting and abdominal pain
Number of illnesses: 119
Number of deaths: 1
7. Papaya
Cause & Effect: Salmonella agona
How did you get it? You consumed fresh papaya from Mexico that was infected with this strain.
Incubation period: 12 to 72 hours
Historical duration: January 1, 2011 to August 25, 2011
Symptoms: severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps,
Number of illnesses: 106
Number of deaths: 0
8. Refrigerated prepackaged cookie dough and brownie dough
Cause & Effect: E coli O157:H7
How did you get it? Why state the obvious? However, in this case, baking the dough would not have eliminated this type of food contamination. E coli can be transferred from the hands to kitchen surfaces.
Incubation period: 1 to 10 days
Historical duration: June 30, 2009
Symptoms: hemorrhagic diarrhea, abdominal cramps
A serious complication of this illness can lead to kidney failure.
Number of illnesses: 72
Number of deaths: 0
9. Whole cantaloupes
Cause & Effect: Listeriosis, Listeria monocytogenes
Mode of contamination: Vegetables, meats that are in contact with contaminated soil or manure. Consuming raw, unpasteurized milk also carries this bacteria.
How did you get it? Consumed cantaloupes from your grocer that are contaminated with listeria bacteria.
Incubation period: 1 to 2 days, but can be up to 2 months
Historical duration: July 31, 2011 and still ongoing
Symptoms: Fever, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea. In severe cases, people can develop the blood infection septicemia or meningitis. Infection in an early pregnancy can also lead to miscarriage.
Number of illnesses so far: 100
Number of Deaths: 21
Editor’s Note: On Oct. 7, 2011, the New York-based company Fruit Fresh Up, Inc. released a statement that it was recalling several of their precut and premade fruit salads with cantaloupe due to the listeria outbreak. Those salad names were Cantaloupe Chunks, Cantaloupe Slices, Gourmet Fruit Salad, Small Fruit Salad, Small and Large Fruit Salad with Pineapple, Fruit Salad with Kiwi, and Fruit Trays. *The CDC is calling this the worst outbreak to date based on the number of deaths associated with this bacteria.
