Shigella

What is foodborne illness?

Food contaminated by bacteria, viruses and parasites

can make you sick. Many people have had foodborne

illness and not even known it. It's sometimes called food

poisoning, and it can feel like the flu. Symptoms may

include the following:

• stomach cramps

• nausea

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• fever

Symptoms can start soon after eating contaminated food,

but they can hit up to a month or more later. For some

people, especially young children, the elderly, pregnant

women and people with weakened immune systems,

foodborne illness can be very dangerous.

Public health experts estimate that there are as many as

13 million cases of foodborne illness in Canada every year.

Most cases of foodborne illness can be prevented by

using safe food handling practices and using a food

thermometer to check that your food is cooked to a safe

internal temperature!

What are Shigella and shigellosis?

Shigella bacteria are found naturally in the intestinal

tracts of humans and other primates. People who eat

food or drink water contaminated by Shigella can become

ill with shigellosis.

What are the symptoms of shigellosis

infection?

Like other foodborne illnesses, the symptoms of

shigellosis can feel like the flu. Symptoms can appear

within 12 to 50 hours after eating contaminated food,

but usually don't appear until three to seven days later.

People who have shigellosis are usually ill for three to

14 days. Others infected with the bacteria may not get

sick or show symptoms, but they can carry the bacteria

and spread the infection to others.

How do the bacteria spread?

Shigellosis is most often spread from person-to-person.

Shigella can also be transferred by flies. People infected

with the bacteria can be carriers. Therefore, proper

hygiene, safe food handling and preparation practices

are key to preventing foodborne illness. If you think you

are infected with Shigella or any other gastrointestinal

illness, do not prepare food for other people. About

20 per cent of shigellosis infections come directly from

contaminated food and water.

Where has Shigella been found?

Food is most commonly contaminated with Shigella from

water polluted by human sewage. Food can also become

contaminated if it is handled by a person infected with

Shigella or by cross-contamination because of unsanitary

food handling practices. The following listed below have

been responsible for foodborne illnesses:

• salads (pasta, potato, shrimp, tuna, chicken, turkey,

macaroni, fruit, lettuce)

• chopped turkey

• rice balls

• beans

• pudding

• produce such as strawberries, spinach, fresh daikon

(a type of radish)

• raw oysters

• deli meats

• unpasteurized milk

Will cooking destroy the bacteria?

Like many other harmful bacteria that could be in our

food, Shigella are destroyed when food is cooked to a

safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to

measure the internal temperature of your food. See table.

INTERNAL COOKING

TEMPERATURES

You can't tell by looking. Use a digital food

thermometer to be sure!

FOOD TEMPERATURE

Beef, veal and lamb

(pieces and whole cuts)

• medium-rare 63°C (145°F)

• medium 71°C (160°F)

• well done 77°C (170°F)

Pork

(pieces and whole cuts) 71°C (160°F)

Poultry

(e.g. chicken, turkey, duck)

• pieces 74°C (165°F)

• whole 85°C (185°F)

Ground meat and meat mixtures

(e.g. burgers, sausages, meatballs,

meatloaf, casseroles)

• beef, veal, lamb and pork 71°C (160°F)

• poultry 74°C (165°F)

Egg dishes 74°C (165°F)

Others

(hot dogs, stuffing

and leftovers) 74°C (165°F)

Defeating Shigella Bacteria: A 4-Point Plan

1. Get off to a CLEAN start!

• Handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent

the spread of foodborne illness. Do you wash your

hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm

water before and after handling food? Wash again

when you switch from one food to another.

• Are your countertops and utensils clean and

sanitized? Sanitizing reduces bacteria and can

prevent foodborne illness.

BLEACH SANITIZER

■ Combine 5 mL (1 tsp) of bleach with 750 mL

(3 cups) of water in a labelled spray bottle.

■ After cleaning, spray sanitizer on the

surface/utensil and let stand briefly.

■ Rinse with lots of clean water, and air dry

(or use clean towels).

FOODSAFE TIP: Use only clean water to water vegetable/

fruit/herb gardens. Shigella bacteria can live in

contaminated water and might contaminate the food

you eat.

www.inspection.gc.ca

2. CHILL your food and stop bacteria cold!

• Bacteria can grow in

the danger zone

between 4°C and 60°C

(40°F to 140°F). Keep

cold food cold at or

below 4°C (40°F).

• Refrigeration at or below

4°C (40°F) slows down

most bacterial growth.

Freezing at or below

-18°C (0°F) can stop

it completely. (But remember: refrigeration and

freezing won't kill bacteria. Only proper cooking

will do that!)

FOODSAFE TIP: Use appliance thermometers to check that

your refrigerator and freezer are cold enough.

3. SEPARATE!

Don't crosscontaminate!

• Keep raw foods

away from other foods

while shopping, storing

and preparing foods.

FOODSAFE TIP: When shopping, place raw meat in a

plastic bag, then place it in your shopping cart away from

other foods.

4. COOK safely!

• Have you cooked your food to a safe internal

temperature? Use a digital food thermometer to

check the temperature of your food. See table.

• Bacteria can grow quickly in the danger zone

between 4°C and 60°C (40°F to 140°F), so keep hot

food at or above 60°C (140°F).

FOODSAFE TIP: The only way to be sure that your food is

cooked properly is to use a food thermometer to check.

Safeguarding Canada's Food Supply

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

is the Government of Canada's science-based

regulator for animal health, plant protection and,

in partnership with Health Canada, food safety.

For more information on food safety or to order

free copies of this brochure, visit the CFIA website

at www.inspection.gc.ca or call 1-800-442-2342/

TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time,

Monday to Friday). You can also find food safety

information on the Health Canada and Canadian

Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education

websites respectively at www.hc-sc.gc.ca

and www.canfightbac.org