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Why have foods sold by street vendors been linked to cholera infections?
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cholera
A woman with cholera being treated by nurses at St. Nicholas Hospital in Saint-Marc, Haiti, 2010.
Foods sold by street vendors are often linked to cholera infections because the disease spreads primarily through the fecal-oral route, and street food preparation frequently involves high-risk practices.12
Transmission occurs when food is irrigated, washed, or cooked using water contaminated with feces containing the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. Specific factors that increase the risk of infection from street-vended foods include:12
- Contaminated Water and Ice: The use of unsafe water for cooking or cleaning, as well as packing food in contaminated ice, provides a direct pathway for the bacteria to enter the food supply.12
- Raw Ingredients: Shellfish and seafood consumed raw are high-risk items.12
- Produce: Fruits and vegetables grown in soil fertilized with human excrement or irrigated with raw sewage can carry the pathogen.12
To prevent infection, it is essential that food is thoroughly cooked, stored in covered containers, and consumed while hot. Maintaining hygienic practices, such as washing hands before preparing food, is also critical to stopping the spread of this intestinal disease.12