Food poisoning: Listeria, Salmonella, and Shigella

Diseases like Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, and Echinococcus—I want to know how you actually catch them. Have there been any outbreaks here in the States? And where is the highest risk? Is it in college dining halls or at restaurants?
It’s honestly shocking to read an article suggesting Listeria could be lurking in mass-produced, processed cheeses. I always assumed cheese was a safe bet, much like how people assume deli meats are fine if they're bought from a local butcher. Clearly, I was wrong.

I once dealt with a case of Listeria.
I’d brought home a hamster from a local pet shop—it turned out the little thing was carrying the infection, which I thought was quite charming at the time.
Fortunately, I didn't catch it myself, but my other pets did, which led to a significant amount of chaos.

Salmonella can be picked up through certain animals too, though it's usually a foodborne issue.

As for Shigella, I really don't know.

Why is that on your mind? 🙂

Carol Barrett29 said:I dealt with a case of Listeria once.
I brought home a hamster from a pet shop that turned out to be infected, which was quite an unexpected turn of events.
I didn't catch it myself, but my other pets did, so it caused a massive headache.

Salmonella can also come from animals, though it’s usually through food.

As for Shigella, I really don't know.

Why the sudden interest? 🙂

I read this article about a guy returning from Austria who bought some cheese there—the kind you see at Walmart—to make a sandwich. He ended up catching Listeria, fell into a coma, and was left disabled.

Invalid in what sense?
Even if you're right, listeriosis can trigger encephalitis—and we’re talking about the entire spectrum of neurological issues there...
Not to mention spinal myelitis.
In fact, my own snake contracted it after coming into contact with an infected rat; now its spine looks like it’s been run over by a bicycle. Several times.

I have no idea which cheese you read about, but that stuff is absolutely not worth playing around with.
It causes everything from the aforementioned conditions to miscarriages or septicemia—who knows what else (Google will give you a much more detailed breakdown...).

I think we all have a decent grasp of how Salmonella works, but regarding that specific strain 3, I don't have much to add.

Honestly, just go buy some cheese from a local deli you actually trust and be done with it.

Carol Barrett29 said:Invalid how, exactly?
Even if you're right, Listeria can trigger encephalitis, and we're looking at an entire alphabet soup of medical conditions here...
Not to mention spinal myelitis.
My own snake actually caught it after encountering one of those infected rats, and now its spine looks like it’s been run over by a bicycle. Multiple times.

I don't know which specific cheese you were reading about, but that stuff is absolutely not worth the risk.
It causes everything from the issues mentioned above to miscarriages, septicemia, and who knows what else (Google will give you a much better breakdown than I can...).

We all pretty much understand how Salmonella works, but regarding that third thing—I have nothing to say to you on that.

If you're worried, just go buy some cheese from a local farmer's market you actually trust and call it a day.

But what really baffles me is this processed cheese, maybe something like Kellogg's but slightly higher in fat, used for sandwiches, rather than actual fresh cheese from a farm stand.

Aha.

To be perfectly honest, I really have no idea :\
In that case—it would probably be best to steer clear of that brand altogether.