2007 Public Lecture Series - Science at Your Service
April 19, 2007
FOOD FIGHT: Defending Dinner Against Microbes
Since the beginning of civilization, infectious organisms have been powerful enough to change the course of history and greatly impact the progress of society. It is believed the great "Plague of Athens" was caused by the organism Salmonella Typhi and directly contributed to the fall of the Greek Empire. In the fight to establish the United States of America, George Washington not only had to fight the British, he had to overcome infectious diseases decimating his troops. Still today, infectious diseases threaten our culture and our economy. Reports of foodborne illnesses due to contaminated food products are ever increasing. The majority of recent reports concern foods not traditionally associated with infection, such as lettuce and peanut butter. The role of the Public Health Bacteriology Laboratory is to identify the disease-causing organisms, characterize the organisms and their sources to determine their virulence, inform the public of the outbreaks and offer guidance for prevention, and work with industry and government agencies to investigate and prevent future episodes of disease.