Reference no: EM132436588

Food-Borne Illness Case Study

Angela, Bridgette, and Laura went out of town together for a fun weekend on the shore. They brought along some food for the trip, but mostly ate at restaurants. On Friday night, the girls went to a Mexican restaurant. Angela and Bridgette shared a Mexican pizza with ground beef, refried beans, cheese, and some vegetable toppings. Laura was served a large portion of chicken fajitas. After dinner, Laura brought her leftover chicken fajitas back to the hotel refrigerator. Saturday morning, the girls ate bagels and fresh fruit. For lunch on Saturday, the girls stopped at a deli. Angela had a spinach salad with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and poppy seed dressing. Bridgette had a shrimp salad sandwich on a toasted multigrain roll. Laura had a few bites of Angela's salad and a bowl of seafood gumbo soup. The girls were having so much fun that evening, they didn't have time for a sit-down dinner, so they each ate a hot dog from a street vendor. When they returned to the hotel later that evening, they were a little bit hungry, so they shared Laura's chicken fajita leftovers after reheating them in a microwave. Between 3:00 and 5:00 AM on Sunday morning, Angela and Bridgette each woke up feeling nauseous and bloated. They spent most of Sunday feeling sick with nausea and vomiting. Angela also had a very bad headache and chills. Poor Laura was stuck in the hotel room taking care of her sick friends all day. 

Required:

1. What food(s) do you think was/were the source of Angela and Bridgette's foodborne illness?
2. Based on their symptoms, the suspected food source(s), and the time of onset, which microorganism(s) may have been responsible for their illness?
3. Identify potential sources of foodborne illness for each of the meals the girls ate over the weekend.
4. What could have been done differently (at any stage of food storage, preparation, or handling) to prevent this illness?
5. Besides altering his intake of dietary lipids, what other lifestyle modifications should Jacob make to reduce his risk for CVD?