I am so tired of the emails from people – mostly people linked to the food industry – who just say, “cook it” or “wash it” and all will be good.
Say, how good is your eyesight?
Definition of Infective dose – the amount that can sicken or kill you or your kid after ingestion. Say, what’s in your hamburger or turkey burger or that cantaloupe?
E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga-toxin E. coli infective dose? Unknown, but from a compilation of outbreak data, including the organism’s ability to be passed person-to-person in the day-care setting and nursing homes, the dose may be similar to that of Shigella (as few as 10 organisms).
Salmonella Infective dose? As few as 15-20 cells; depends upon age and health of host, and strain differences among the members of the genus.
Listeria infective dose? L. monocytogenes is unknown but is believed to vary with the strain and susceptibility of the victim. From cases contracted through raw or supposedly pasteurized milk, it is safe to assume that in susceptible persons, fewer than 1,000 total organisms may cause disease
Hepatitis A infective dose? Is unknown but presumably is 10-100 virus particles.
Botulism infective dose? A very small amount (a few nanograms) of toxin can cause illness.
Campylobacter infective dose? C. jejuni is considered to be small. Human feeding studies suggest that about 400-500 bacteria may cause illness in some individuals, while in others, greater numbers are required.
And, here is a great site to check the relative size of these “bad Bug.”
Correct, you can not see them.