A cook wants to know which pathogen has the smallest infectious dose, meaning even a tiny amount can make someone sick. Which of these is known for a very low infectious dose?
a.Bacillus cereus and Clostridium botulinum
b.Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Shigella
c.Clostridium perfringens in warm beef gravy
d.Staphylococcus aureus on a cook's hands
Explanation
STEC and Shigella are the pathogens known for very low infectious doses, so even slight contamination of ready-to-eat food can cause serious illness, which is why handwashing and no bare-hand contact are critical. Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens must reach very high cell counts before anyone gets sick, Staph illness depends on toxin building up during time-temperature abuse, and Clostridium botulinum causes an intoxication rather than a low-dose infection.
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