Foodborne Toxico-Infection

A foodborne sickness arises when the microorganisms contained in the food are ingested, leading the food to act as a vehicle for transmitting harmful organisms and toxic substances.

Foodborne toxico-infection is a fusion of food poisoning and bacterial infection. The microorganism undergoes significant growth within the food and then continues to multiply within the gastrointestinal tract once the food is consumed. As a result, toxins are released, causing symptoms. In contrast to food poisoning, where the toxin originates in the food and is then ingested, in toxico-infection, the bacteria are non-invasive and cause illness by generating toxins while they grow within the human intestines. The onset of symptoms in toxico-infection is generally, although not always, longer than what is observed in food poisoning, but shorter than the onset seen in bacterial infections.

For example, Bacillus cereus triggers a toxico-infection characterized by diarrheal toxins. This is due to the production of heat-sensitive toxins either within the intestines or the food itself. Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive microorganism that is facultative anaerobic and produces heat-resistant spores, enabling it to thrive within a temperature range of 10-50 °C.

Similarly, Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 can also lead to toxico-infection. These bacteria do not invade tissues and cause diarrhea through the production of cholera toxin within the intestinal tract.
Foodborne Toxico-Infection