Foodborne Disease
Course Overview
Foodborne diseases are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and high financial costs. Each year, approximately 48 million cases of foodborne disease occur in the United States, resulting in more than 56,000 hospitalizations and 1,350 deaths annually. The estimated economic burden is $6 billion each year through healthcare costs and lost productivity. Education campaigns and patient education strategies will be discussed in order to support efforts to prevent foodborne illness. In addition, the reporting process for foodborne illnesses will be described.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- List the bacterial and viral pathogens most often responsible for food-related illness in the United States.
- Identify the subset of the populations most at risk for a foodborne disease.
- Discuss the food sources of infectious and non-infectious pathogens.
- Outline key steps in the diagnosis of foodborne disease, including patient history, differential diagnosis, microbiologic testing, and considerations for non-English-proficient patients.
- Describe the general management principles and reporting requirements for cases of foodborne disease.
- Discuss the epidemiology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of foodborne bacterial infection.
- Identify viral foodborne pathogens, including associated diagnosis and treatment.
- Compare and contrast foodborne parasitic disease found in the United States.
- Describe marine toxins by source and the respective syndromes associated with food-related illness.
- List the symptoms and disease course of mushroom poisonings.
- Describe strategies to help individuals prevent foodborne disease.
About the Author/Presenter
John M. Leonard, MD, Professor of Medicine Emeritus, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, completed his post-graduate clinical training at the Yale and Vanderbilt University Medical Centers before joining the Vanderbilt faculty in 1974. He is a clinician-educator and for many years served as director of residency training and student educational programs for the Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine. Over a career span of 40 years, Dr. Leonard conducted an active practice of general internal medicine and an inpatient consulting practice of infectious diseases.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Nursing, Physician
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