This week, on March 17th, a TikTok creator went viral after posting a video describing her experience of contracting a foodborne illness from a street vendor travelling abroad which triggered an autoimmune disease that “will make her chronically ill for the rest of her life.” After receiving millions of views and likes, this video has sparked panic across the social media platform surrounding the possibility of developing an autoimmune disorder.
Autoimmune diseases are caused by a person’s immune system attacking healthy cells or organs instead of working to defend the body against infection. Scientists have currently discovered 80 autoimmune diseases with the most common ones being type 1 diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Some bacteria responsible for food poisoning have proteins that resemble human tissues. When a foreign pathogen such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, or Listeria enters the body, the body may mistakenly attack healthy cells instead. Campylobacter cells, for example, have a similar surface texture to human nerve cells, and are more likely to trigger the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), where the immune system attacks the nervous system. Salmonella damages the gut lining and can cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune response. One study estimated that more than 200,000 Americans develop long term conditions as a result of contracting a foodborne illness.
The original creator of TikTok later admitted that the autoimmune disease she developed was most likely genetic and that the foodborne illness was merely “the trigger.” People who inherit this genetic variation have an immune system that is more prone to misidentification. Although autoimmune diseases can be hereditary, a variety of factors can contribute such as one’s environment and immune system. The elderly, children, and immunocompromised people are at higher risk of developing an autoimmune disease after contracting a foodborne illness.
Can autoimmune diseases be prevented?
If someone is genetically predisposed to an autoimmune disease this cannot be changed, however, in other cases, there are other measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of one developing. Practicing healthy food safety like proper hand washing and avoiding cross contamination prevents foodborne illness. Maintaining a healthy gut by avoiding highly processed foods and managing stress levels also helps.
