Foodborne Illness Latest Threats And Emerging Issues An Issue Of Infectious Disease Clinics

Food Borne Illness is a common, costly, yet preventable public health problem. This issue of the Infectious Disease Clinics covers the most common food borne pathogens, along with articles that include indentifying, diagnosing, and treating food borne illness. The issue also covers food borne illness in special populations, as well as long term complications associated with food borne illness.

Globalization of the food supply has created conditions favorable for the emergence, reemergence, and spread of food-borne pathogens-compounding the challenge of anticipating, detecting, and effectively responding to food-borne threats to health. In the United States, food-borne agents affect 1 out of 6 individuals and cause approximately 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year. This figure likely represents just the tip of the iceberg, because it fails to account for the broad array of food-borne illnesses or for their wide-ranging repercussions for consumers, government, and the food industry-both domestically and internationally. A One Health approach to food safety may hold the promise of harnessing and integrating the expertise and resources from across the spectrum of multiple health domains including the human and veterinary medical and plant pathology communities with those of the wildlife and aquatic health and ecology communities. The IOM's Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop on December 13 and 14, 2011 that examined issues critical to the protection of the nation's food supply. The workshop explored existing knowledge and unanswered questions on the nature and extent of food-borne threats to health. Participants discussed the globalization of the U.S. food supply and the burden of illness associated with foodborne threats to health; considered the spectrum of food-borne threats as well as illustrative case studies; reviewed existing research, policies, and practices to prevent and mitigate foodborne threats; and, identified opportunities to reduce future threats to the nation's food supply through the use of a "One Health" approach to food safety. Improving Food Safety Through a One Health Approach: Workshop Summary covers the events of the workshop and explains the recommendations for future related workshops.

Developments such as the increasing globalization of the food industry, constant innovations in technologies and products, and changes in the susceptibility of populations to disease have all highlighted the problem of emerging pathogens, either newly discovered through more sensitive analytical methods, linked for the first time to disease in humans, or newly associated with a particular food. Designed for microbiologists and quality assurance professionals and for government and academic food safety scientists, this timely reference discusses ways of identifying emerging pathogens and includes chapters on individual pathogens, their epidemiology, methods of detection, and means of control.

This issue of the Infectious Disease Clinics is devoted to the treatment and prevention of the most common STDs – including syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV. The articles will discuss the current research in the field such as antimicrobial resistance in treating gonorrhea and the development/trials of a genital herpes vaccine.

This issue of Infectious Disease Clinics, edited by Dr. Kalpana Gupta, is devoted to Urinary Tract Infections. Articles in this issue include Epidemiology and Definition of Urinary Tract Infection Syndromes; Approach to a Positive Urine Culture; Diagnosis and Management of UTI in the Emergency Room; Diagnosis and Management of UTI in Older Adults; Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Catheter-Associated UTI; Management of Non-Catheter Associated Complicated UTI; Management of UTI due to Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms; Diagnosis and Fungal Management of Fungal UTI; UTI Issues in Special Populations; Prevention of Recurrent UTI; and UTI Pathogenesis.

This issue of Infectious Disease Clinics, edited by Sara Cosgrove, MD, Pranita Tamma, MD, and Arjun Srinvasan, MD, is devoted to Infection Prevention and Stewardship. Articles in this issue include Behavior Issues in Antimicrobial Stewardship; Research Methods and Measurement Approaches for Analyzing the Impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs; The Role of the Microbiology Laboratory in Antimicrobial Stewardship; Antimicrobial Stewardship in Long Term Care Facilities; Antimicrobial Stewardship in the NICU; Antimicrobial Stewardship in Immuno-compromised Populations; Antimicrobial Stewardship in Community Hospitals/Lower Resources Settings; Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Outpatient Setting; Informatics and Antimicrobial Stewardship; Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions; and Teaching and Education in Antimicrobial Stewardship.

The Encyclopedia of Food and Health, Five Volume Set provides users with a solid bridge of current and accurate information spanning food production and processing, from distribution and consumption to health effects. The Encyclopedia comprises five volumes, each containing comprehensive, thorough coverage, and a writing style that is succinct and straightforward. Users will find this to be a meticulously organized resource of the best available summary and conclusions on each topic. Written from a truly international perspective, and covering of all areas of food science and health in over 550 articles, with extensive cross-referencing and further reading at the end of each chapter, this updated encyclopedia is an invaluable resource for both research and educational needs. Identifies the essential nutrients and how to avoid their deficiencies Explores the use of diet to reduce disease risk and optimize health Compiles methods for detection and quantitation of food constituents, food additives and nutrients, and contaminants Contains coverage of all areas of food science and health in nearly 700 articles, with extensive cross-referencing and further reading at the end of each chapter