Health Hazards Caused by Pest Infestation
- Asthma/Respiratory Problems. Many different kinds of pests can directly cause increased issues with people who have asthma or other respiratory diseases.
- Hantavirus. This is a type of virus which can lead to everything from fever to respiratory problems, and can be fatal in the most severe cases.
- Leptospirosis. ...
- Food Contamination. ...
- West Nile Virus. ...
What are the dangers of pest contamination?
Pest contamination is bad enough, but when it affects your food supply, then it will pose many health risks that you could’ve avoided altogether. Together with a pest control expert, you should push efforts to prevent the dangers of pest contamination in food below.
What types of pests can contaminate food?
Physical Contamination Pests: Pests - such as mice, rats and cockroaches - leave droppings that can contaminate food. Also, pests themselves - such as flies and insects - can also make their way into food. 5.0 1 vote 1 vote
What are the main causes of contamination?
The reasons for contamination can include: illegal dumping or unsafe storage of harmful products. Contamination in significant volumes may spread from the original site to nearby properties or public areas such as creeks and rivers. This can happen via:
What diseases do pests carry?
Pests can carry germs and bacteria which can easily be transferred to food, food surfaces, and other food processing equipment. Human pathogens such as Salmonella enterica, Vibrio cholerae, and Staphylococcus aureus are all harmful specimens carried by pests which causes dangerous diseases in humans.
What contamination do pests cause?
This is significant because pests such as cockroaches, flies and birds can cause serious contamination such as Salmonellosis and E. coli as well as facilitate the spread of diseases through their droppings.
Can pest cause physical contamination?
Examples of Physical Contamination Common examples of physical contaminants include hair, bandages, fingernails, jewelry, broken glass, metal, paint flakes, bone, the body parts of pests, or pest droppings.
What are the 4 types of contamination?
There are four main types of contamination: chemical, microbial, physical, and allergenic. All food is at risk of contamination from these four types. This is why food handlers have a legal responsibility to ensure that the food they prepare is free from these contaminants and safe for the consumer.
What are 3 examples of contamination?
Common examples of physical contaminants in food businesses include:hair.fingernails.bandages.jewellery.broken glass, staples.plastic wrap/packaging.dirt from unwashed fruit and vegetables.pests/pest droppings/rodent hair.
What is indirect contamination?
Indirect contamination occurs when bacteria are transferred to the high risk foods via something else such as hands, worktops, chopping boards, equipment or cleaning cloths.
What are physical contaminants?
Physical contaminants, also referred to as foreign bodies, take many forms and their presence in food products can range from unpleasant but harmless to dangerous if chewed or swallowed.
What are the different types of contamination How are these caused?
The three types of contamination are biological, physical, and chemical. However, for the purpose of this article, we will discuss four categories. These include chemical contamination, physical contamination, microbial contamination, and allergen contamination.
What are 3 ways food can be contaminated?
There are three types of food contamination: biological, chemical and physical contamination.
What are the three main causes of food contamination?
There are three ways that food can be contaminated:biological hazards (microorganisms) including bacteria, fungi, yeasts, mould and viruses.chemical hazards. including cleaning chemicals or foods with naturally occurring toxins, such as green potatoes.physical hazards.
Which of the following is a contaminant?
(b) is the following can be called contaminant . Particulate matter (PM) pollution is caused by these particles. Small particles can go deep into the lungs and cause health issues if there are enough of them.
What causes biological contamination?
Biological contaminants include bacteria, viruses, animal dander and cat saliva, house dust, mites, cockroaches, and pollen. There are many sources of these pollutants. By controlling the relative humidity level in a home, the growth of some sources of biologicals can be minimized.
What is cross contamination example?
People can also be a source of cross- contamination to foods. Some examples are: Touching raw meats then handling vegetables or other ready-to-eat foods without washing hands between tasks. Using a food soiled apron or towel to wipe your hands between handling different foods.
What are the diseases that pests carry?
Pests can carry germs and bacteria which can easily be transferred to food, food surfaces, and other food processing equipment. Human pathogens such as Salmonella enterica, Vibrio cholerae, and Staphylococcus aureus are all harmful specimens carried by pests which causes dangerous diseases in humans.
What are the pests that can be found in food?
The pests involved in this occurrence can range from flour beetles, weevils, cockroaches, and sometimes even termites . Food contamination in this category happens when pests leave body parts and cast skins or wings within the food that is stored. Also, another major concern about these pest body parts is that they can be ground up along with food products like grains and cereals making them almost undetectable, but just as lethal to humans.
What are the dirtiest creatures in the world?
It is common knowledge that pests can be the dirtiest and deadliest creatures in the world. They are responsible for many of the well-known diseases which have ultimately caused the demise of countless people. For instance, just a small amount of their droppings or urine can cause diseases and even damage your home. When pests are the culprit of food contamination, the frequency with which they can affect people in your home increases astoundingly!
How often does a pest multiply?
The velocity of their multiplication might seem exaggerated, but it really can multiply its size every 20 to 30 minutes. This is bad news especially if your food is constantly ridden by pests. The health risk that this poses for humans can be astounding because this multiplication will eventually lead to food poisoning. Pests can contaminate and destroy food worldwide that is enough to feed up to over 200 million people!
What are the dangers of cockroaches?
This type of hazard can be attributed to the presence of cockroaches and other insect pests. Cockroaches can spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria and 6 kinds of parasitic worms. When transferred to food, they can expose humans to diseases such as Escherichia coli and Shigellosis.
Can you get diseases from eating contaminated food?
This means that even if you are confident that your food was not exposed to the risk of contamination, it is still possible that you can contract diseases from it due to cross- contamination caused by pests.
Can bacteria multiply in a damp environment?
Bacteria can multiply very quickly, especially in a warm, damp environment like containers full of food. Pests tend to defecate even while eating food but make no mistake, they do this no matter the food that they are eating. Once consumed, these droppings can be responsible for dangerous and often fatal diseases such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), Salmonella enterica infection, Listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes, etc. Bacteria can spread pretty quickly, sometimes in a matter of minutes.
What are the most common pests?
Flies, cockroaches, rats and mice are common pests. Flies are capable of carrying over 100 pathogens including those that cause typhoid, cholera, salmonello-sis, Staphylococcus aureus, bacillary dysentery, anthrax and parasitic worms. Flies eat only liquid or semi liquid food. Solid food is liquefied by the fly’s saliva or vomit. Since their food intake is so high, they also defecate constantly. Virtually any time a fly lands on a surface, it is either regurgitating or defecating, which is why they are treated as a serious sanitation issue.
How to control pests?
Pesticides control pests but pesticides alone are not the solution. Improper use of toxic pesticides can lead to food contamination with disastrous consequences. A better solution is to have a holistic pest management programme as part of your food safety programme. This approach to pest management is intended to minimize reliance on chemical pesticides. This holistic or integrated technique focuses on pest exclusion, sanitation, baiting, environmental sanitation and harborage prevention. It also utilizes management tools such as reports on pest location, pest type, needed repairs and processes. It warrants knowing pests that can be located in your food establishment so that you can use their own habits and behaviours against them.
How do rats and mice help the environment?
It is estimated that rats and mice consume or contaminate up to one-third of all the food produced in the world annually. Some rodents are curious, but that curiosity wears off after a day or two, so the baits and/or traps become ineffective. They also have limited memories, so after they forget about the bait and/or traps that have been placed, they will return for another visit. Other rodents have been described as neophobic, or afraid of new things. Advantage is taken of this neophobia in pre-baiting, firstly using nonpoisonous grains, then gradually introducing lethal, slow-acting poisons. Rats demonstrate a high level of intelligence in that in large colonies the smallest and weakest rats are used as tasters. They are the ones that eat the new food and the rest of the colony watches to see what happens. Accordingly, poisons must be both painless and slow acting, because rats will observe their companions to see whether they have adverse reactions. Rats do require a source of water, so eliminating any free-standing water in a facility will do a great deal to resolve a rat problem.
Why is information important in pest control?
Information on the characteristics, habits and behaviour of pests is critical in developing pest control strategies. Cockroaches carry bait back to where they gather and poison their young. Some rodents are curious and check out baits/traps, then check them out again when they are replaced after a delay. Some rodents will take baits after they become used to them. Flies are best controlled when they move around the least, that is, when they’re larvae. It is knowing the pest that allows us to eliminate, or at least control, the creature and prevent food contamination.
Why is sanitation important in pest management?
Sanitation is a key pillar of pest management. It eliminates the factors that attract pests to food facilities. Those pest security factors are food, water and shelter. The proliferation of pests within food establishments can present a major nightmare for the regulator but moreso for the proprietor and consumers. The sight of pests can result in significant customer loss. Pests can also directly result in morbidity and mortality arising out of consumption of contaminated foods.
Why is pest management important?
Pest management is an important component of good manufacturing practice. It demands documented procedures on methods of eradication and control. Pest and vermin frequent dirty places and thrive on dead and decaying plant and animal matter. Thus, they readily carry disease-causing organisms on their bodies and legs which can contaminate food and food contact surfaces. Additionally, they deposit larvae, insect casings and body parts on foods.
How many types of worms are there in cockroaches?
Cockroaches are some of the most difficult insects to control and reportedly spread at least 33 kind s of bacteria, 6 kinds of parasitic worms and 7 other human pathogens.
What are the causes of foodborne illness?
Various conditions like gastroenteritis, dysentery and salmonella are all caused by bacteria in food that generally comes from pest infestations. Flies, mice and roaches mostly cause these kinds of foodborne illnesses, which can lead to pain symptoms, dehydration and problems in the intestinal tract.
Can mosquitoes be fatal?
Generally transmitted through mosquitos, this common disease can become life-threatening and fatal quickly. Because of how quickly mosquitos can multiply and how easy it is to get bitten without knowing it, this is a particularly dangerous infestation.
Can roaches cause asthma?
A major triggering of allergic conditions also happens frequently. Roach droppings and carca sses release a protein that’s known to cause asthma attacks, and this sort of thing isn’t uncommon among the most common infestations.
Biological contamination
Biological contamination is when disease-causing bacteria or other harmful microorganisms called “pathogens” contaminate food and are consumed; it is a common cause of food poisoning and food spoilage. Bacteria are small microorganisms that split and multiply very quickly.
Chemical contamination
Chemical contamination occurs when chemicals get into food. Common sources of chemical contamination in a commercial kitchen include:
Physical contamination
Physical contamination happens when physical objects enter food. Common sources of physical contamination include:
Cross-contamination
In a food setting, cross-contamination refers to the transfer of contaminants from a surface, object or person to food. This can happen in many different ways. Common causes of cross-contamination include:
Preventing food contamination
The best way to prevent food contamination from happening in a food business is through food safety training and education. Food Handlers must be trained in fundamental food safety concepts and practical skills, such as:
What is biological contamination?
Biological contamination refers to food that’s contaminated by substances produced by living creatures – such as humans, rodents, pests or microorganisms.
What are the consequences of physical contamination?
An additional consequence of physical contamination is the upset caused to the person who finds the object.
Why is it important to know how food can become contaminated?
Chemical contamination refers to food that has been contaminated by some type of chemical substance. Because chemicals can be very useful when cleaning in the kitchen, they can easily contaminate food.
What is the most common cause of food poisoning?
Bacterial contamination is thought to be the most common cause of food poisoning worldwide, and the best way to protect against it occurring is by maintaining the best food safety practices. Physical contamination refers to food that has been contaminated by a foreign object at some stage of the production process.
Why should chemicals be properly labelled?
Chemicals must be properly labelled and stored separately for foodstuff to minimise the risk of contamination. There are also chemicals that occur naturally in foods, like toxins in some fish, and in some cases, minimal chemical contamination might not actually lead to illness. However, the food handler must always be aware of the presence ...
What is chemical contamination?
Chemical contamination happens when a food becomes contaminated by some kind of chemical substance. Chemicals are used frequently in the kitchen for cleaning and disinfection, so it’s unsurprising that they can contaminate food. Contamination may occur from preparing food on a surface that still has chemical residue on it or if someone sprays cleaning chemicals close to uncovered food.
What are the four types of contamination?
There are four main types of contamination: chemical, microbial, physical, and allergenic . All food is at risk of contamination from these four types. This is why food handlers have a legal responsibility to ensure that the food they prepare is free from these contaminants and safe for the consumer.
What is the most common cause of food poisoning?
Microbial contamination is the most common reason behind outbreaks of food poisoning. The best way to prevent this type of contamination is by following strict, high-standard food hygiene practices. This means:
Why is food handling dangerous?
This is why food handlers have a legal responsibility to ensure that the food they prepare is free from these contaminants and safe for the consumer. Food contamination is dangerous. The consequences of eating contaminated food range from sickness all the way to death.
Why is it dangerous to eat raw food?
Fish and shellfish may eat toxic-producingorganisms that are dangerous to humans if they eat them. Microbial contamination is the most common reason behind outbreaks of food poisoning.
What are the types of physical contaminants that can be found in food?
Types of physical contaminants that can be found in food include jewellery, hair, plastic, bones, stones, pest bodies, and cloth.
What is an example of an allergen?
For example, if the same knife used to cut normal bread is then used to cut gluten-free bread, or if pasta is stored in a tub that used to contain peanuts.
How to prevent contamination?
Prevention of Contamination: Determine the cause of the contamination. Anticipate the effect. Prevent any ingress and egress. Minimize the effects and quarantine the area. Control the remaining contamination. Process of Elimination: Eliminate the source material. To remove the contaminant carrier:
When is cross contamination possible?
Cross contamination is possible when the unwanted matter is introduced or brought from one process to the next during manufacturing.
What is the term for the presence of unwanted materials during the manufacturing and transportation time?
The presence of unwanted materials such as dust and particles during the manufacturing and transportation time is called contamination . The term contaminants includes any unwanted matter that is found in the product. These contaminants affect the quality of the product or the process.
How to remove contaminant carrier?
To remove the contaminant carrier: Reduce human involvement. Regulate the use of the equipment. Regulate the use of air. Regulate the use of water. To reduce human carrier risk: Ensure that proper attire is worn when coming and going from the production area. To reduce water as carrier:
Can bacteria grow in a container?
For biological contamination, bacteria may thrive if the container is not properly cleaned and dried. The contaminated container will then affect the product and microbes may thus be introduced to the batch.
What are the causes of contamination?
Contamination typically comes from particular industrial, agricultural or commercial activities. For example, chemical or waste spills and leaks. The reasons for contamination can include: 1 poor waste management 2 poor construction, industrial or agricultural practices 3 illegal dumping or unsafe storage of harmful products.
What are some examples of intensive farming?
Examples of intensive farming include those that involve a large amount of pesticides.
Can pollution migrate from a nearby site?
Pollution migrating from a nearby site can contaminate another site. This may cause mobile contamination in gases or groundwater. You must consider this risk if your site is close to the following businesses:
What Are The Dangers of Pest Contamination in Food?
Transmission of Pathogens
Rapid Bacteria Multiplication
Cross-Contamination
Exposure to parasites
Stored Food Contamination
- The pests involved in this occurrence can range from flour beetles, weevils, cockroaches, and sometimes even termites. Food contamination in this category happens when pests leave body parts and cast skins or wings within the food that is stored. Also, another major concern about these pest body parts is that they can be ground up along with food p...
Key Takeaway