Foodborne pathogens have been linked to Crohn’s disease read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1383-foodborne-pathogens-have-been-linked-to-crohn-s-disease

A new study led by Canadian researchers has revealed that a case of food borne illness generally short-term condition can have a lasting impact on your health, especially if you are at risk for Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease, and is a debilitating and painful condition. The condition most often affects the end portion of the small intestine, known as the ileum.

It can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. Unlike ulcerative colitis, which only affects the innermost lining of the colon, Crohn's disease can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall.

The disease is also characterized by patches of affected and unaffected tissue, meaning that some areas may be horribly inflamed, while other patches of tissue remain normal.

Dr. Brian Coombes, a professor at McMaster University and the study's senior author, states that their results indicate that foodborne illnesses may create an intestinal environment that would allow Crohn's-associated bacteria to flourish.

With the help of his team Dr. Coombes at the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, studying the relationship between microorganisms and Crohn's disease. He says that what causes the onset of Crohn's disease is still not fully understood by the medical world.

He says, the research is inspired by previous studies that have examined the potential link between foodborne illness and Crohn's disease.

While observing previous studies, Coombes noted that one of the most impressive findings was that even one exposure to food poisoning increased the risk of developing Crohn's disease within the subsequent 15-year period substantially, compared to not being exposed to food-poisoning.

There is potentially a very large gap between exposure and disease onset, Coombes is hopeful that a preventive treatment protocol can eventually be developed. If an intervention was available, it could reduce the number of people who are eventually affected by Crohn's disease.