Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

genital herpes 327
• thoroughly cooking all animal-based foods
(including eggs), to 160ºF for most meats and
poultry (no pink in the flesh)
• prompt refrigeration of leftover foods
Most foodborne illnesses are self-limiting; the
infection runs its course (usually within three to
five days) and the person fully recovers without
medical treatment. Supportive treatment such as
adequate fluid intake is important to prevent
DEHYDRATION; soups and juices also help maintain
nutrition. Doctors often discourage people from
taking ANTIDIARRHEAL MEDICATIONS that work by
slowing gastrointestinal motility, such as loperamide
or diphenoxylate, because these drugs may
prolong the illness by prolonging the presence of
the PATHOGEN in the gastrointestinal tract.
Some foodborne illnesses need prompt medical
treatment, such as BOTULISM. Some parasitic and
bacterial infections require appropriate medications.
Some foodborne illnesses may spread from
one person to another, such as HEPATITIS and
ESCHERICHIA COLI INFECTION. A doctor should evaluate
symptoms that are severe or persist longer than
five days.
AMEBIASIS
CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS
GIARDIASIS
LISTERIOSIS
SALMONELLOSIS
TOXOPLASMOSIS
FOODBORNE ILLNESSES
BOTULISM
Escherichia coli INFECTION
HEPATITIS
Norwalk-like virus
SHIGELLOSIS
See also FUNGUS; PARASITE; VIRUS; WATERBORNE ILL-
NESSES.
fungus Any of the 200,000 or so of single or
multiple cell organisms (living structures), microscopic
(visible only using a microscope for magnification)
and macroscopic (visible to the unaided
EYE), that are abundant in the natural environment.
Yeasts are single-cell fungi that live in
colonies; molds are multiple-cell fungi that form
structures. Like BACTERIA, fungi are among the oldest
life forms to inhabit the Earth; fossils of yeasts
date back more than 2 billion years.
Most fungi are harmless to humans and many
are NORMAL FLORA (present in body and on the
SKIN). Fungi break down organic waste; yeasts, for
example, populate the gastrointestinal tract where
they aid in digestion. Many ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATIONS
derive from fungi, notably penicillin (first cultivated
from the mold Penicillium chrysogenum).
Some fungi are pathogenic (disease causing) in
people under any circumstances and others cause
OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION in people who are IMMUNO-
COMPROMISED. Fungal diseases may be localized,
such as ONYCHOMYCOSIS (fungal INFECTION of the nail
beds), or systemic, such as HISTOPLASMOSIS. Doctors
use ANTIFUNGAL MEDICATIONS to treat fungal infections
that cause disease.
FUNGAL DISEASES
ASPERGILLOSIS
blastomycosis
CANDIDIASIS
COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS
CRYPTOCOCCOSIS
HISTOPLASMOSIS
mucormycosis
ONYCHOMYCOSIS
sporotrichosis
tinea barbae (ringworm)
tinea capitis (ringworm)
tinea corporis (ringworm)
tinea cruris (jock itch)
tinea pedis (athlete’s foot)
Fungi may also be a source of poisoning.
Aspergillus molds on grains produce aflatoxins, for
example, which cause LIVER damage and are associated
with LIVER CANCER. Many types of mushrooms
produce toxins (mycotoxins) that cause
illness or death when eaten, such as the highly
toxic “death cap” mushroom, Amanita phalloides.
Molds may grow in buildings where humidity and
darkness converge to provide the ideal environment
for their growth, such as inside walls and
floors where there have been water leaks. The
spores of these fungi cause respiratory illnesses
and other health problems when breathed in with
the air, particularly for people who have ASTHMA
or other chronic pulmonary conditions.
See also BUILDING-RELATED ILLNESS; INDOOR AIR
QUALITY; MICROBE; OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY;
PARASITE; PATHOGEN; PROTOZOA; TINEA INFECTIONS;
VIRUS.
genital herpes A sexually transmitted disease
(STD) resulting from INFECTION with herpesvirus,
usually HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS 2 (HSV-2). Herpes