Health officials warn public about food-borne illnesses
Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer, and that means parties, cook-outs and picnics. But the El Paso County Health Department reports as many as 5,000 Americans will die, this year, from food-borne illnesses. Environmental Health Specialist, Laura Dixon, says "Food borne illness is caused by microorganisms from raw foods. And mostly e-coli, campylobacter, norovirus." She says food-borne illnesses are a real and present threat.
The CDC estimates that 76 million Americans will get sick from food borne illness each year. They say the problem is that most people think they'll get sick from eating out at restaurants. But Dixon says, "In fact, a lot of the diseases and illnesses are coming from your own home."
