The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year approximately one in six Americans (48 million people), 128,000, will end up in the hospital and 3,000 they will die from food-borne diseases. Each year, $365 million is spent fighting Salmonella infection. There are 31 major foodborne pathogens known to cause foodborne illness. Foodborne illnesses are infections of the gastrointestinal tract caused by foods that contain bacteria, parasites, viruses, or harmful chemicals. The gastrointestinal tract is a collection of organs joined together in a long, twisted tube that runs from the mouth to the anus. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and chills. Some chemicals affect the nervous system causing symptoms such as headache, numbness of the skin, blurred vision, body weakness, dizziness and paralysis. Most foodborne illnesses come on suddenly and last only a short time, typically one to seven days. Many people heal on their own without turning to doctors. But rarely, a food-borne illness can lead to more serious problems for a person such as dehydration, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and chronic diseases, including reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, or long-lasting health problems . However, there are some people who are more likely to develop foodborne illnesses such as infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems. Raw foods of any animal origin such as raw meat and poultry, raw eggs, unpasteurized foods, milk and raw shellfish are more likely to be contaminated. Fruits and vegetables can also be contaminated if fields have been fertilized with animal waste and if produce has been cleaned with dirty water. Raw......middle of paper......uch. Foods that need to be cooked should be cooked long enough at a high temperature to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present on them. Beef, veal, pork and lamb roasts, steaks and chops should be cooked to 145 degrees. For ground beef, veal, pork and lamb, cook at a temperature of 160 degrees. Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees. Foodborne illnesses can be easily prevented if you know what to look for and how to prevent them. Reducing the number of infections will require stronger actions to prevent food contamination at multiple stages, from farm to fork. If you reduce foodborne illnesses by 10%, you will save 5 million Americans from getting sick every year. The Arizona Department of Health Services predicts a 25% decline in Salmonella infection in 2020 and a 25% to 50% decline in the other five major infections.