There has been much in the news lately about the foodborne illness outbreak of salmonella infection related to contaminated peanut butter. While hundreds of people have become sick in this particular incident and some have died, this is but the tip of the iceberg in terms of how many people are affected every year by foodborne illness. The CDC estimates that 76 MILLION people in the US get sick by some type of foodborne illness every year. Of these, 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 people die. Most foodborne illness is not outbreak related and most is not diagnosed.
The most likely source of foodborne illness is raw or undercooked foods of animal origin -- meat, poultry, shellfish, eggs, unpasteurized milk. However, raw fruits and vegetables can also be a source. Washing can decrease contamination but not totally eliminate it.
Everyone is at risk of foodborne illness but some are particularly vulnerable. For example, pregnant women, the elderly, those with weakened immune systems, and infants are at higher risk of complications from foodborne illness. Everyone should do what they can to reduce risk by practicing safe food handling practices and making appropriate choices when dining out and grocery shopping. Food safety requires major effort and is the responsibility of many people from the farmer to the person in the kitchen preparing food -- even if it is you.
Some ways to reduce risk in your own kitchen are:
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COOK food thoroughly. Heat meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Refrigerate food in shallow containers before it cools to 150 degrees.
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SEPARATE meat, fish, and poultry from other foods and preparation tools to avoid cross contamination.
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CHILL foods quickly to 40 degrees or less.
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CLEAN and sanitize all counters, containers, and utensils that come into contact with food. Wash hands before handling food and frequently during food preparation.
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REPORT suspected and confirmed cases of foodborne illness to your local public health department so an investigation can be started to determine if it is outbreak related.
If you suspect foodborne illness, call your doctor if:
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You have a fever over 101.5 taken orally.
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You have blood in the stool.
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You suffer from prolonged vomiting.
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You have signs of dehydration such as decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, dizziness.
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You have diarrhea lasting more than three days.
Ask your doctor to order a stool sample test to look for pathogens. It can take up to three or more days for symptoms to appear after exposure and it is not necessarily from the last meal you ate. Many variables are involved in foodborne illness and symptoms from most infections take at least twelve hours to surface. Several people can eat the same food but not everyone will become sick.
Be observant when dining out and order meat well-done and not undercooked. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the establishment -- if it is not clean where patrons can see, it is probably not clean in areas not visible to the patrons. Inspections of restaurants in the City of Milwaukee (does not include suburbs) can now be reviewed online. So check out your favorite restaurant before you patronize it at either of these websites: http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/dataondemand/33609219.html http://itmdapps.ci.mil.wi.us/cehri/faq.jsp#food_establishments
Additional information about foodborne illness is available at the following websites: http://www.fightbac.org http://www.fda.gov http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm
