Campylobacter Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Campylobacter Blog

Marler Clark, Food Poisoning Attorneys

Marler Clark is the nation's foremost law firm with a practice dedicated to representing victims of food poisoning.

Since 1993, Marler Clark's lawyers have represented thousands of clients in litigation against restaurants and food companies whose food was traced as the source of illness. The Marler Clark food poisoning lawyers have brought claims on behalf of individuals sickened as part of outbreaks - cases involving multiple people sickened by a common source - and individuals whose illnesses were considered "isolated," yet could be traced to a particular food source.

Centers for Disease Control: Frequently Asked Questions about Campylobacter jejuni

Answers questions such as: How common is Campylobacter? What sort of germ is Campylobacter? How is the infection diagnosed? How does food or water get contaminated with Campylobacter? What can be done to prevent the infection? What are public health agencies doing to prevent or control campylobacteriosis?

The "Bad Bug" Book: Campylobacter jejuni

This online handbook provides basic facts about Campylobacter jejuni, and brings together in one place information from the FDA, CDC, National Institutes of Health, and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. IT IS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE THAT WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Kids Health for Parents: Campylobacter Infections

Offers general information on Campylobacter infections, its signs and symptoms as well as information on how to identify if a child is suffering from foodborne illness.

The Virtual Museum of Bacteria

Provides pictures of campylobacter bacteria, and links to other photo sources, fact sheets, lectures, and scientific sites about campylobacter jejuni.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Campylobacter information

Fact sheet on Campylobacter infection, including symptoms, risks, and what producers are doing to try to protect consumers.

S.T.O.P - Safe Tables Our Priority

S.T.O.P. -- Safe Tables Our Priority is a non-profit grassroots organization devoted to victim assistance, public education, and policy advocacy for safe food and public health. The organization was founded in 1993 by family and friends of people who became ill or died from exposure to E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogenic bacteria in meat and poultry. S.T.O.P.'s mission is to prevent unnecessary illness and loss of life from foodborne contamination. This is an excellent informational site, but also a critical resource for people whose lives have been affected by this deadly bacterium.

The Medical Reporter

In our travels on the Web, we have had an opportunity to look at a LOT of sites about medical care and health, and this is one of the best. The Medical Reporter is an independent, educational, non-profit health magazine for enlightened healthcare consumers. Published solely in cyperspace since April of 1995, The Medical Reporter emphasizes preventive medicine, primary care, patient advocacy, education and support of interest to men and women alike. Please check it out and tell us what you think.


The Journal Watch Infectious Diseases

Edited and reviewed by more than 80 physicians, JWatch regularly combs 180 medical journals for important findings in infectious diseases.


National Institutes of Health Main Homepage

The National Institutes of Health web site is huge, with links to countless other sites, all having to do with (you guessed it) HEALTH. In particular, the sections having to do with HEALTH INFORMATION and SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES are both impressively vast, and typically quite helpful. You can do no-cost MedLine searches here as well, and link to on-line catalogs, journals, and learn about ongoing research projects. You could spend hours surfing this site, and learn tons.

Foodborne Illness: What Consumers Need to Know

Part of a website designed to provide health and safety information for HIV-positive individuals, and persons living with AIDS, this web-page provide simple, yet important, information about foodborne illnesses and how best to avoid them.

National Center for Food Safety and Technology

The NCFST is a consortium organized to address the complex issues raised by emerging food technologies. It includes academia, industry, and the government to combine resources and encourage cooperative efforts to ensure the continued food safety and quality of the nation's food supply. This is not necessarily the prettiest site around, but it contains a good amount of helpful information, especially about available educational programs.

The Food Safety Network

The Food Safety Network (FSN), housed at the University of Guelph, provides research, commentary, policy evaluation and public information on food safety issues, from farm-to-fork. In addition to four daily listserves, FSN offers consumer, student and industry outreach services, information research, on-line resources, collaborative projects, evaluation and analysis, and a capacity to address current and emerging food safety concerns.

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Monday August 14, 2006
By Stephen Ward

The chicken industry says sales have remained steady despite the scare about high rates of human campylobacter infection.

A University of Otago study that appeared last month said New Zealand's campylobacter rates were the world's highest. One finding was that up to 90 per cent of fresh raw chicken was contaminated when sold to consumers.

But the Poultry Industry Association's executive director, Michael Brooks, believes contamination rates are more like 30-40 per cent.

The association said some regions had seen a minor fluctuation in sales, but the overall trend remained steady.

It stressed that proper cooking of meat killed campylobacter.

The scare came after Meat and Wool New Zealand figures showed a decline in poultry consumption in the year to March, unrelated to campylobacter.

In the year to March, overall meat consumption rose 2.8 per cent. Poultry dropped 5.9 per cent overall but chicken remained the most eaten individual meat at 35.6kg a person.

Brooks noted that chicken's drop had followed years of record increases in consumption.

"The year ended March 2006 figures were a result that was bound to happen as consumption cannot continue to grow at those levels forever."

Meanwhile, the poultry association board has agreed on a number of campylobacter-related measures. They include trials of treatment options, sharing data with the NZ Food Safety Authority, improved food handling and preparation advice to consumers, and a review of advice on packaging.

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Three times higher than Australia; 30 times higher than the US
09 July 2006

University of Otago public health researchers say New Zealand should seriously consider banning the sale of fresh chicken for human consumption, and switch to frozen chicken instead, to alleviate the country's serious campylobacter epidemic.

A study by the University's Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences' researchers just published in the international journal Epidemiology and Infection paints an alarming picture about the rate of campylobacter infection in New Zealand. Infection rates have risen steadily for more than two decades and are now more than three times higher than that reported in Australia and 30 times higher than the United States. This is the first time that New Zealand's comparative situation has been quantified and comprehensively reported in an international peer-review journal. Since the research was completed, rates have risen to a new high of 416/100,000 for the 12 months ending May 2006, based on 15,553 cases notified during that period.

Lead study author Dr Michael Baker says New Zealand now has the dubious distinction of having the world's highest reported rates of campylobacter infection. "Immediate action is needed to control New Zealand's epidemic of campylobacter infection. In addition to food hygiene, we actually need to deal with the source of the infection."

The study reported that the rise in notifications was matched by a similar rise in hospitalisations for this infection - suggesting that the increase in disease rates is real, rather than being caused by better surveillance.

Dr Baker says the causes of this increase are not known for sure, but are likely to be linked to the rise in consumption of fresh chicken. A recent report, commissioned by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, noted that up to 90 per cent of fresh chicken sold for consumption is contaminated with campylobacter. The risk is not from properly-cooked chicken, but largely from under-cooked chicken and foods that have been cross-contaminated from fresh chicken.

Dr Baker estimates that contaminated chicken is likely to be causing at least 50,000 cases of campylobacter infection in New Zealand each year and more than 400 hospitalisations. He bases this estimate on a previous large national study that found at least 50 per cent of disease could be attributed to chicken consumption - more than all of the other risk factors combined. Overseas studies have found that that the real rate of campylobacter in the community is seven-to-eight times higher than the number of notified cases, suggesting there are now more than 100,000 cases of campylobacter infection in New Zealand each year (based on 13,839 notified cases in 2005 and 871 hospitalisations).

"Chicken has become the cheap and dirty food of New Zealand," Dr Baker says. However, he suggests that, while it may be cheap to buy, the estimated cost of campylobacter to New Zealand today is $70 to 80 million, of which chicken consumption is likely to be responsible for at least half.

Dr Baker urges two key approaches to reduce the harm from the campylobacter epidemic. "First, we have to acknowledge that contaminated chicken is the major cause of this epidemic. A good start would be an open public dialogue between the poultry industry, regulators, scientists and consumer organisations about the scale of the problem and how to address it using proven methods.

"Second, we should immediately switch to frozen poultry and seriously consider banning the sale of fresh chicken for human consumption, unless it can be shown to have minimal contamination. Freezing chicken greatly reduces contamination levels."

Dr Baker also advocates a research programme to evaluate the impact of any switch to frozen poultry. "That way we would know at the end of the day how much illness had been prevented."

One of the study co-authors, Dr Nick Wilson, who has observed the debate about the causes of New Zealand's campylobacter epidemic for more than 10 years, says he is dismayed at the level of procrastination by industry. He cites two misconceptions which he has seen used to justify these delays.

"There has been a tendency to blame the public for not handling poultry properly. This is like blaming the consumer who finds half a mouse in their meat pie. Fresh chicken sold in New Zealand is literally dripping with campylobacter. Everything that raw chicken touches can become cross-contaminated to the extent that even a spotlessly well-run home kitchen or restaurant can become a source of infection. We have to move away from this kind of victim blaming.

"The second misconception I have heard over and over again is that chicken is just one of many sources, so should not be singled out. This is like the tobacco industry saying that smoking is not the only cause of lung cancer. While it is technically correct, it diverts attention away from the main cause. Let's make chicken the focus of our campylobacter control efforts. If we are successful in controlling that source we could potentially eliminate at least 50 per cent of cases. Once we have achieved that, then let's look at the other less important sources of infection."

To support these arguments Dr Baker cites two well-documented examples from overseas. The first example was a "natural experiment" in Belgium where poultry was withdrawn from the market for four weeks in 1999 because of concerns that it might be contaminated with dioxin. Rates of campylobacter infection fell by 40 per cent during this ban, and then returned to the previous level after chicken was put back on the shelves.

A second example comes from Iceland, where a comprehensive programme to reduce campylobacter contamination in its poultry was introduced in 2000. This programme included freezing poultry from flocks which tested positive for campylobacter rather than allow it to be sold as fresh poultry after it had been slaughtered. These measures were followed by a significant decline in disease rates. New Zealand, like Iceland, is an island country that produces its poultry locally so such measures should work here.

Dr Baker says it is completely unacceptable to sell a food that is heavily contaminated with bacteria that is making thousands of New Zealanders sick each month. "We know enough to act now to control this epidemic. I would never let unfrozen poultry into my house."

Other findings reported in the paper:
Campylobacter infection reached a peak of 14,790 cases in 2003, a rate of 396/100,000 population.
Corresponding rates in other countries were: Australia (117/100,000 in 2003), England and Wales (85/100,000 in 2003), Scotland (87/100,000 in 2003, Iceland (116/100,000 in 2000), Netherlands (37/100,000 in 2001), United States FoodNet sites (13/100,000 in 2003), and Canada (40/100,000 in 2000)
Rates of campylobacter notification are highest in children under 5 years and young adults (20-29 years). Hospitalisations also have a peak in the elderly (those 70-plus years).
Rates are significantly higher in males.
Rates are significantly higher in Europeans than in Maori and Pacific People, unlike many serious infections that tend to have higher rates in Maori and Pacific populations.
Rates are significantly higher in urban areas compared with rural populations for both notifications and hospitalisations.
The highest notification rates were in Wellington and South Canterbury district health board areas. Both districts had annual notification rates >400 / 100 000 (based on average for 2001-2003).
For more information, contact
Michael Baker
Senior Lecturer
Department of Public Health
Wellington School of Medicine & Health Sciences
University of Otago
Tel 64 4 385 5541 extn. 6802
Email michael.baker@otago.ac.nz

Brigid Feely
Communications Manager
University of Otago
Tel 64 3 479 8263
Email brigid.feely@otago.ac.nz

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Thursday, 27 July 2006, 2:54 pm
Press Release: Green Party
27 July 2006

The Green Party is alarmed that the Government will not take any decisive action in the foreseeable future to reduce the epidemic of campylobacter infections in New Zealand while it waits for yet more advice.

In the House today the Minister of Food Safety, in response to questioning by Greens' Food Safety Spokesperson Sue Kedgley, said they would not act until further research was conducted.

"I am extremely concerned at the New Zealand Food Safety Authority's procrastinating on this issue, when all the modelling work shows that only permitting frozen chicken to be sold would reduce the risk of becoming ill from eating chicken 10 to 100 fold, Ms Kedgley said.

"Campylobacter infections have reached epidemic proportions in New Zealand, with scientists estimating that 50,000 New Zealanders are becoming ill from the bacteria, and 400 hospitalised each year.

"Other countries like Iceland have acted swiftly by only permitting frozen chicken to be sold, so I cannot understand why our Food Safety Authority wont follow suit.

"One of the key objectives of the Authority is to ensure that all food produced, marketed or distributed in New Zealand meets the highest standards of food hygiene and safety, so why is it failing so abysmally in its mandate?"

It was also concerning that the Food Safety Authority continued to place responsibility for the epidemic on poor food handling by consumers, instead of reducing the epidemic at one of the key sources - poultry slaughter houses.

"The Food Authority's own research shows that slaughter houses, and some of the machinery used in them, are major sources of cross contamination. Why doesn't it demand that the slaughter houses are cleaned up instead of blaming consumers?

"The Food Act is clear that it is illegal to sell contaminated food, so I cant understand why the Authority allows contaminated chicken to be sold, in breach of the Act.

Ms Kedgley said she was also concerned that the Authority continued to tell consumers on its website and its communications material that washing hands, utensils and chopping boards with soap and hot water would reduce the risk of infection, when scientists say that only washing everything with chlorine bleach will kill the bacteria.

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May 2006
Journal of Food Protection, Volume 69, Number 5 pp. 1024-1027(4)
Gharst, Greg; Hanson, Dana; Kathariou, S.

Abstract:
Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are leading bacterial causes of human gastroenteritis in the United States and other industrialized nations. These organisms frequently colonize avian hosts, including commercial poultry, but are also found in the gastrointestinal tract of other warm-blooded animals, including swine, sheep, and cattle. This study investigated the effect of direct culture versus selective enrichment on the isolation of thermophilic Campylobacter from the colon of 610 cattle. Fecal samples were taken from the colon of mature cattle (older than 30 months of age) immediately after slaughter in a commercial abattoir over a period of 17 months. Campylobacter was isolated from 23.4% of the animals. Most (93%) of the culture-confirmed Campylobacter isolates were C. jejuni, with the remaining 7% being C. coli. Additionally, of the 143 samples from which pure cultures of Campylobacter could be isolated, 72 (50.3%) were positive only with selective enrichment, 18 (12.6%) were positive only with direct plating, and 53 (37.1%) were positive by both methods. The data suggest that, even though selective enrichment was more effective than direct plating, both direct plating and selective enrichment protocols might need to be employed for optimal surveillance of C. jejuni in fecal material from cattle.

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Article published Saturday, July 16, 2005

TOLEDO ZOO

By ROBIN ERB

The Toledo Zoo's petting zoo is scheduled to reopen today, less than a month after officials warned they might close it for the summer because a routine animal screening detected an infectious bacteria.

One Lucas County child became infected with campylobacteriosis, the illness caused by the bacteria campylobacter, after visiting the zoo in June, according to an epidemiologist at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.

But it was unclear whether the boy picked up the bacteria at the zoo or elsewhere.

Health officials say the organism is extremely common. Once passed to humans, it can cause a fever, diarrhea, and vomiting that typically lasts several days, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It can be extremely uncomfortable for a few days. Then, for most people, it will be resolved," Christine Pearson, a CDC spokesman, said.

In rare cases, it is life-threatening among people with "compromised immune systems - usually the very young and the very old," said Kristopher Weiss, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health.

Throughout the state, 5,810 cases of campylobacteriosis were reported in a five-year period, ending in 2003. Statistics for 2004 were not immediately available, he said.

The organism was identified among a handful of organisms that sickened about 1,400 visitors to South Bass Island last summer. The source most likely was contaminated groundwater, officials concluded.

Dr. Wynona Shellabarger, the zoo's interim veterinarian, said the petting zoo's cows, sheep, pigs, alpacas, miniature donkeys, and other animals have been tested for campylobacter.

"The results are all coming back negative, and the animals are healthy," Dr. Shellabarger said.

The animals in the petting zoo that are on loan at the zoo for the summer will be tested about once a month, she said.

The petting zoo closed June 24, although a portion reopened a short time later so that visitors could view the animals. Today's full opening means that children can pet the animals again.

Additionally, the Toledo-Lucas County health department and the zoo have worked together to isolate the bacteria.

Among other precautionary steps, the zoo now sanitizes petting zoo handrails twice daily. Sanitizing wipes and hand-washing stations are provided.

Last year, 56 cases of campylobacteriosis were reported in Lucas County. So far this year, about 30 cases have been reported, said Dawn Thomas, an epidemiologist with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.

One child was reported infected after visiting the petting zoo June 12, but washed his hands after the visit. The child, who made a full recovery, also didn't get ill until about two weeks later, while the incubation period for the disease is typically two to five days, according to Ms. Thomas.

Contact Robin Erb at:
robinerb@theblade.com
or 419-724-6133.

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Jun 27, 2005

TOLEDO (AP) -- The Children's Zoo in Toledo was closed for the weekend after three animals tested positive for an infectious bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness. No patrons have reported being ill, but officials said Friday that the petting portion of the children's zoo could remain closed for the rest of the summer.

"This is not a major public health hazard, we're just being extremely, extremely cautious," said Andrew Odum, chairman of the zoo's biological programs committee. The zoo is part of the much larger Toledo Zoo.

Recently two baby calves sharing the same stall tested positive during routine checks for a bacteria known as campylobacter. A sow that had just given birth in an adjacent stall also tested positive. The three animals -- which were kept in stall areas beyond the reach of zoo patrons -- were isolated for observation, although none showed signs of sickness, zoo officials said.

About 30 barnyard animals in the children's zoo, including goats, sheep, pigs, and calves, were retested.

Symptoms of campylobacteriosis, the disease caused by the bacteria, include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. It is transferred by saliva and touching of an animal's feces. Symptoms appear two to five days after exposure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Animals at the children's zoo are loaned to the Toledo Zoo by area farmers and institutions for the summer. The zoo's calves and pigs arrived in May from several area farmers, while the sheep arrived in May from the University of Findlay.

In April, state health officials in Florida said 26 people, including 23 children, fell ill from E. coli linked to petting zoos at three fairs.

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Saturday, June 25, 2005
Petting area may stay shut awhile
By TAD VEZNER
BLADE STAFF WRITER

The Children's Zoo at the Toledo Zoo was shut down yesterday following the discovery of an infectious bacteria in several of its animals.

And zoo officials said last night that the petting portion of the children's facility could remain closed for the rest of the summer.

Last week, two baby calves sharing the same stall tested positive during routine testing for a bacteria known as Campylobacter, a common cause of gastrointestinal illness. A sow that had just given birth in an adjacent stall also tested positive.

The three animals - which were kept in stall areas beyond the reach of zoo patrons - were isolated for observation, although none shows signs of sickness, zoo officials said.

The 30 or so barnyard animals in the children's zoo, including goats, sheep, pigs, and calves, were retested.

Yesterday, the bacteria was found in fecal matter collected from a group of about a half-dozen sheep in the children's zoo petting area.

The children's zoo was shut down an hour before closing yesterday and will be closed for the entire weekend while animal care staff assess the situation.

Andrew Odum, the chairman of the zoo's biological programs committee who oversees animal care issues at the zoo, said the closing was primarily a precautionary measure. "It's a very common, widespread bacteria. Most of the time it doesn't cause problems, but it can," he said.

"This is not a major public health hazard, we're just being extremely, extremely cautious."

Zoo officials said none of the other animals showed signs of sickness, and there were no reports of patrons who have become ill.

Symptoms of Campylobacteriosis, the disease caused by Campylobacter, include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.

It is transferred by saliva and touching of an animal's feces, and symptoms would appear two to five days after exposure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The bacteria acts very similarly to salmonella, but is not as serious," said Dr. Wynona Shellabarger, the zoo's acting chief veterinarian.

Zoo officials are still trying to determine to what extent the bacteria is present.

A second, week-long culture test of the sow has come back negative for the bacteria. Second tests on the other animals are expected next week.

Mr. Odum said this is the first time he can remember the children's zoo being shut down for such a reason.

Over the weekend, animal care staff at the zoo will decide on a long-term solution to the problem.

Mitch Magdich, curator of education who oversees the children's zoo, said zoo officials will look at ways to keep the children's zoo petting area in operation.

One option might be to include the zoo's educational dogs, llama-like alpacas, dwarf Nigerian goats, and pot bellied pigs, which are not currently part of the children's zoo.

The children's zoo's animals are loaned to the zoo by area farmers and institutions for the summer.

The zoo's calves and pigs arrived in May from several area farmers, while the sheep arrived in May from the University of Findlay.

Contact Tad Vezner at:
tvezner@theblade.com
or 419-724-6050

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Campylobacter jejuni (Pronounced "camp-e-low-back-ter j-june-eye") was not recognized as a cause of human foodborne illness prior to 1975. Now, the bacterial organism is known to be the most common cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the U.S.1 (Salmonella is the second most common cause).

Most cases Campylobacter infection occur as isolated, sporadic events, not as a part of the large outbreaks. Even though surveillance is very limited, over 10,000 cases are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year. Active surveillance for cases indicates that over 17 cases for each 100,000 persons in the population (or about 46,000 cases) are diagnosed yearly.1 Undoubtedly, many more cases go undiagnosed and unreported, and estimates are that Campylobacter causes 2-4 million cases per year in the United States.4

Campylobacteriosis occurs more frequently in the summer months than in the winter. Although Campylobacter doesn't commonly cause death, it has been estimated that 100 persons with Campylobacter infections die each year from the infection. Recently, the CDC reported that Campylobacter infections related to raw or uncooked poultry fell by 28%.

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March 02, 2005
Bug of the Month for March: CAMPYLOBACTER
The Bacteria

Q: What is Campylobacter?

A: Campylobacter [pronounced "kamp-e-lo-back-ter"] bacteria are commonly found in the intestinal tracts of cats, dogs, poultry, cattle, swine, rodents, monkeys, wild birds, and some humans. The bacteria pass through feces to cycle through the environment and are also in untreated water. Campylobacter jejuni, the strain associated with most reported human infections, may be present in the body without causing illness.

Q: Why are we hearing more about Campylobacter?

A: During the 1980's, public health authorities began to learn more about the prevalence of the bacteria in the environment, the illness it can cause, and laboratory techniques for identifying the bacteria. As individual states within the United States increase their reporting of illnesses to CDC, research continues on the organism and the disease.

Q. How is Campylobacter destroyed?

A. The bacteria are extremely fragile and are easily destroyed by thorough cooking. They are also destroyed through typical water treatment systems. Freezing cannot be relied on to destroy the bacteria. Thorough cooking is what will make the product safe.

The Illness

Q: What harm can Campylobacter bacteria cause?

A: The bacteria can exist in the intestinal tracts of people and animals without causing any symptoms or illness. However, if people consume live bacteria in raw milk, contaminated water, or undercooked meat or poultry, they may acquire a Campylobacter infection (also called campylobacteriosis). Studies show that consuming as little as 500 Campylobacter cells can cause the illness.

Symptoms of Campylobacter infection, which usually occur within 2 to 10 days after the bacteria are ingested, include fever, headache, and muscle pain, followed by diarrhea, stomach pain, and nausea. In some cases physicians prescribe antibiotics when diarrhea is severe.

Complications can include meningitis, urinary tract infections, and possibly reactive arthritis (rare and almost always short-term), and rarely, Guillain-Barre syndrome, an unusual type of paralysis.

Q: Who is most susceptible?

A: Anyone may become ill from a Campylobacter infection. However, persons with underdeveloped or weakened immune systems such as newborns or the elderly, or immune systems weakened by chronic illness such as AIDS, or medical treatment, e.g., cancer patients on immunosuppressive therapy, are more susceptible to health complications from Campylobacter. The elderly could also be more susceptible because of weakened immune systems.

Q: What causes humans to get this disease?

A: Contaminated water, raw milk, and raw or undercooked meat or poultry can all be the "vehicles" that carry Campylobacter and other bacteria into the human intestinal system. Fecal matter on an animal's coat might be transmitted to human hands through petting.

To minimize the risk of illness from Campylobacter infections or other bacterial illnesses:

Do follow the principles of safe food handling, including prompt refrigeration or freezing, thorough cooking and rapid, even cooling. Avoid cross-contamination of other foods by thoroughly washing cutting boards (preferably plastic, not wooden) and hands after contact with raw meat and poultry.
Don't drink untreated water from mountain streams or lakes.
Don't drink unpasteurized raw milk from farms or other sources.

Safe Food Tips

to Destroy Campylobacter and Prevent Illness

Most foodborne illness from bacteria on raw meat or poultry can be prevented by proper food handling in home and institutional kitchens.

To keep food safe at home, refrigerate promptly and properly. Freeze raw meat and poultry you will not use within 1 or 2 days. Freezers should register 0 degrees F and refrigerators 40 degrees F. Thaw foods in the refrigerator. Food should not be thawed at room temperature. Cross-contamination of bacteria to other foods from raw meat and poultry can be prevented by thorough washing of hands, countertops, and utensils. Campylobacter are very fragile bacteria that are easily destroyed by thorough cooking. Freezing cannot be relied on to destroy the bacteria. Thorough cooking is what will make the product safe.

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