There are worse things than finding a piece of someone's thumb in your sandwich, according to one health official. Richard Levinson, associate executive director of the American Public Health Association, said people risk greater contamination from the rat hairs and insect parts found in many spices and foods. A little thumb in the food is unaesthetic, but it is much less dangerous than other possibilities. Each year at least 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 Americans die from food-related disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But in terms of health it depends on the body part and where it has been.
Humans tend to be a cleaner species.
Salmonella, which induces diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and vomiting and can last four to seven days, can be found in contaminated eggs. Al DeMaria, director of communicable disease control at Massachusetts Department of Public Health agreed with Levinson. Cape Cod Times. All rights reserved.