While the majority of illnesses associated with Shigella are waterborne, approximately 20% are linked to food. A wide variety of foods may be contaminated with Shigella, including salads (potato, shrimp, tuna, chicken, turkey, macaroni, fruit, and lettuce), chopped turkey, rice balls, beans, pudding, strawberries, spinach, raw oysters, luncheon meat, and milk. The source of contamination is fecal, which means the food has come in contact with polluted water or has been handled under other unsanitary conditions. It is possible for any food that has been mishandled to become contaminated and cause the disease.
