Shigella: A Food Safety Concern

Shigella spp. is a bacteria that causes foodborne illness that is considered one of the Big Six pathogens due to the severity of illness that it causes and how contagious it is. Eating only a small amount of this bacteria can make a person very ill. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common symptoms of illness caused by Shigella spp. are diarrhea (can be bloody), fever, and stomach cramps (Shigella – Shigellosis, 2021). Symptoms usually last for about 7 days and start about 1-2 days after being infected with the bacteria. Illness caused by Shigella spp. is an infection called shigellosis.

Sources of Shigella spp.

The source of this bacteria is the stool of an infected person that can be passed to another person's food or mouth by not practicing good personal hygiene. For example, it can spread when someone infected with an illness from Shigella spp. uses the restroom, does not wash their hands, then prepares your food. Foods that are commonly linked with this bacteria are those that can be easily contaminated by a food handler's hands, like Time and Temperature Controlled for Safety (TCS) salads like potato salad, tuna salad, shrimp salad, for example. Other sources can be if a field where fresh produce is grown that has been contaminated with human waste, and flies can be a carrier of this pathogen and spread it from one surface to another.

Prevention of Shigella spp.

Shigella spp. bacteria can live in a person's intestines for weeks after symptoms have ended, so it is very important to practice good personal hygiene, like proper handwashing, to prevent this bacteria from causing illness. Hands should be thoroughly washed after using the restroom and before preparing food. Since Shigella spp. is a bacteria, it can be destroyed during the cooking process, so it is imperative to cook foods to the required minimum internal temperature. Lastly, exclude any food handlers from your operation if they have been diagnosed with an illness caused by Shigella spp. or have any symptoms of illness caused by Shigella spp.

References

Shigella – Shigellosis. (2021, March 31). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.