Foodborne diseases

Foodborne diseases continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality both in developing and developed countries. Its spectrum has vastly expanded in recent years with the recognition of new foodborne pathogens and clinical syndromes. The increase in international travel and demand for exotic and raw food underscore the importance of traveller's diarrhoea. The emergence of day care centres and residential institutions predispose to an environment that enhances the transmission of foodborne pathogens. Last but not least, our greying population, the AIDS pandemic and increasing use of immunosuppressive chemotherapy have produced a special population that is easily susceptible to the microbial contamination of food. Diseases in these individuals are usually more chronic, severe or life-threatening. This article seeks to address the above issues as well as to present a practical approach to the diagnosis and management of foodborne diseases.