Foodborne Illness and Links to Other Disorders

Scientists suspect that foodborne pathogens are linked to chronic disorders and can even cause permanent tissue or organ destruction. Research suggests that when some people are infected by foodborne pathogens, the activation of their immune system can trigger an inappropriate autoimmune response, which means the immune system attacks the body's own cells. In some people, an autoimmune response leads to a chronic health condition.

Chronic disorders that may be triggered by foodborne pathogens are

• arthritis
  
  
• inflammatory bowel disease
  
  
• kidney failure
  
  
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
  
  
• autoimmune disorders
  
  

Further research is needed to explain the link.

source: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/bacteria/index.htm