AIDS and food safety

The latest “official” figures on the impact of food-borne illness in the U.S. estimate that 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths are attributed to food and water-borne pathogens each year. ¹ Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses, Salmonella, and Campylobacter account for 93% of the illnesses while Salmonella, Listeria, and Toxoplasma account for 75% of the deaths attributed to known pathogens. Individuals with weakened immune systems, especially those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), belong to the group of sensitive populations who are at greater risk of morbidity and mortality associated with food and waterborne disease. ^2-4 For example, one study found that the incidence of salmonellosis was 20-fold higher in men with AIDS compared to men without AIDS, and the incidence of Salmonella bacteremia was 45% in the former compared to 9% in the latter. ⁵ The destruction of helper T cell lymphocytes characteristic of HIV contributes to deficits in both cell-mediated and humoral immunity, resulting in an increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and certain cancers. ⁶.