What you should do
Follow these four steps to prevent getting sick from E. coli.
- Clean: Wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces often. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or peeling.
- Separate: Keep food that won't be cooked separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure you have cooked your food to a temperature high enough to kill germs.
- Chill: Refrigerate perishable food (food that goes bad) within 2 hours. If the outside temperature is hotter than 90°F, refrigerate within 1 hour. Thaw food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
Symptoms of E. coli
- Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
- Symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after swallowing the bacteria.
- Most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days.
- Symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after swallowing the bacteria.
- Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and would need to be hospitalized.
Keep Reading:
About Escherichia coli Infection
See also
- FDA: Grimmway Farms Recall
- FDA: Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O121:H19: Organic Carrots (November 2024)
- FDA: F&S Fresh Foods Recalls Whole Foods Market Organic Carrot Sticks and Organic Carrots & Celery Because of Possible Health Risk Due to Potential E. coli Contamination
- FDA: Fabalish Inc. Recalls "Kickin' Carrot Falafel Bites" Because of Possible Health Risk
- About E. coli