DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1

What is considered to be the most frequent cause of foodborne illness in the United States.
Based on the data in the CAST Report Table 2.1, which foodborne pathogen do you consider to be the most most serious. Why?
Based on the data in CAST Report Table 2.1, which organisms would you classify as highly virulent? moderately virulent? mildly virulent?
What might be some reasons for the large differences in reported prevalence, among organisms and among foods in the survey data shown in CAST Report Table 4.1?
Based on the data in CAST Report Table 5.1, what two organisms would you say are the biggest problem? Why?
Base on data in CAST Report Table 5.1, how would you rate the risk from chemical toxins and viral agents compared to bacterial pathogens?
Based on data in CAST Report Table 5.5, what do you believe is responsible for the difference between reported and estimated cases of foodborne illness? Which organisms show the greatest differences between reported and estimated cases?
Where do most foodborne disease outbreaks occur? Waht are the major contributing factors?

Foodborne Pathogens Risks and Consequences. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), Task Force Report no. 122, 1994.

Emerging Foodborne Diseases.
S.F. Altekruse, M.L. Cohen, and D.L. Swerdlow. Emerging Infectious Diseases: 3 (3) July-September 1997

Emerging Foodborne Diseases: An Evolving Public Health Challenge.
Robert V. Tauxe. Emerging Infectious Diseases: 3 (4) October-December 1997

Updated January 1998

Copyright 1998 by Bruce E. Langlois

URL http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/FoodScience/FSC632/Questions1.html