The illness most commonly reported as a foodborne illness in the US is caused by which organism?

The illness most commonly reported as a foodborne illness in the US is caused by which organism?

• A. Shigella
• B. Saxitoxin
• C. Scombrotoxin
• D. Salmonella

Answer: (D)

Among organisms that cause foodborne illness, Salmonella is the most commonly reported in the United States. It’s a bacterium found in a wide range of foods—especially undercooked poultry and eggs, unpasteurized dairy, and contaminated produce. Infections, known as salmonellosis, typically bring fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps and can be more severe for young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Because Salmonella can enter the food supply from many sources and survive through common handling and cooking mistakes, it remains the leading bacterial cause of domestically acquired foodborne illness reports. Shigella is a real cause of foodborne illness but is reported less frequently than Salmonella. Saxitoxin and Scombrotoxin are toxins, not organisms, so they don’t fit the question’s focus on illnesses caused by living organisms.

Among organisms that cause foodborne illness, Salmonella is the most commonly reported in the United States. It’s a bacterium found in a wide range of foods—especially undercooked poultry and eggs, unpasteurized dairy, and contaminated produce. Infections, known as salmonellosis, typically bring fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps and can be more severe for young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Because Salmonella can enter the food supply from many sources and survive through common handling and cooking mistakes, it remains the leading bacterial cause of domestically acquired foodborne illness reports.

Shigella is a real cause of foodborne illness but is reported less frequently than Salmonella. Saxitoxin and Scombrotoxin are toxins, not organisms, so they don’t fit the question’s focus on illnesses caused by living organisms.