ServSafe Big 6 Pathogens Flashcards

Norovirus

• Transmitted via food or equipment by food handlers with feces on their fingers.
• People become contagious just hours after consuming contaminated food.
• Often linked to ready-to-eat foods.
• Prevented by excluding staff who are vomiting or have diarrhea.

Salmonella Typhi

• Exists in a person's bloodstream and intestines.
• Frequently associated with ready-to-eat foods and beverages.
• Persists in a person's feces for weeks after symptoms cease.
• Preventable through hand washing and ensuring food reaches minimum internal temperatures.

Shigella spp.

• Found in the feces of infected individuals.
• Can be spread by flies that transfer the pathogen.
• Commonly linked to foods easily contaminated by hands.
• Prevented by excluding food handlers with diarrhea.

Hepatitis A

• Linked primarily to ready-to-eat foods.
• Transmitted by food handlers with feces on their hands.
• Staff with jaundice should be excluded to prevent illness.
• Normal cooking temperatures are ineffective in destroying the virus.

E-Coli

• Found in the intestines of cattle.
• Produces toxins in human intestines leading to illness.
• Commonly associated with ground beef and contaminated produce.
• Prevented by excluding food handlers who have diarrhea.

Salmonella

• Commonly carried by many farm animals.
• Can persist in a person's feces for weeks after symptoms resolve.
• Found in various produce such as tomatoes, peppers, and cantaloupes.
• Preventable by cooking poultry and eggs to required minimum internal temperatures.