Eating or drinking a foodborne pathogen isn’t the only way to contract a foodborne illness. People who are sick or infected with a food poisoning microbe can pass the bacteria, virus or parasite via the fecal-oral route. Person to person transmission (or secondary transmission) occurs in daycare centers, nursing homes and hospitals. Infected food workers can also pose a threat when they continue to work when ill and pass the illness through handled food. This is especially true for foodborne viruses like Norovirus and Hepatitis A.
Swimming can pose a risk when victims get contaminated from farm animal waste runoff that infiltrates rivers or lakes. Swimming pools can be contaminated in the same manner as lakes and rivers when infected people pass along enteric bacteria such as Shigella and E. coli.
Cross contamination in a kitchen is also an illness threat. Surfaces and utensils that come into contact with food poisoning pathogens can quickly be overrun with the microbes. Even just touching cross contaminated surfaces can lead to infection.
Salmonella and E. coli have been found and transmitted in settings such as petting zoos and open farms. Research has linked exotic reptiles and birds kept as pets to Salmonella transmission to pet owners and contaminated pet foods and treats have passed Salmonella onto humans who have handled the pet products.
