PROTECT AGAINST FOOD BORNE/DIARRHEAL ILLNESSES

It's mid-August in Delaware, and we still have a few weeks of summer left to enjoy gathering with friends and family. The Division of Public Health (DPH) reminds residents that we can enjoy these gatherings even more if we take a few simple precautions to protect ourselves food borne illnesses.

The most commonly recognized food borne infections are those caused by the bacteria Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli 0157:H7, and by a group of viruses known as Norwalk. Although sometimes mild and usually self-limiting, these diseases can become severe and may require medical attention. Consult a health care provider if you are experiencing a high fever (temperature over 101.5 F, measured orally), blood in the stools, prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration), signs of dehydration (including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up), and/or diarrheal illness that lasts more than 3 days.

DPH recommends the following to reduce the risk of food borne diseases:

• Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing food. Avoid preparing food for others if you have diarrheal illness. Do not change a baby's diaper during food preparation. Wash hands with soap after contact with dog or cat feces, particularly stools of puppies and kittens with diarrhea.
• Remind household members with diarrheal illness, especially children, to wash their hands carefully and frequently with soap and water to reduce the risk of spreading diarrheal illnesses.
• Cook meat, poultry and eggs thoroughly. Use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of meat. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160o F. Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.
• Avoid cross-contaminating foods by washing hands, utensils, and cutting boards after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry and before they touch another food. Put cooked meat on a clean platter.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly if not to be eaten within 4 hours. Bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature.
• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables well under running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime. Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage. Be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for many hours.
• Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk and juice.
• Report suspected food borne illnesses to the DPH Bureau of Epidemiology at (302) 744-1033. If a public health official contacts you to find out more about an illness you had, your cooperation is important. Your cooperation may be needed even if you are not ill.

For More Information, contact DPH at (302) 744-1033 or 1-888-295-5156 and/or visit CDC website: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.