Food-borne infections are getting a lot of attention these days, as they should. Each year, roughly 76 million Americans get sick from something they ate. Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to protect yourself, reports the April 2010 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch, in the second half of a two-part series.

More than 200 different microbes can cause food-borne illness. These are among the most frequent and dangerous perpetrators:

Escherichia coli. E. coli is one of the most common bacteria in the human colon. Four groups of “foreign” E. coli that are usually referred to by their initials—ETEC, EIEC, EPEC, and EHEC—can cause food-borne illness. Symptoms include diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, and fever. Antibiotics can shorten the duration of traveler’s diarrhea (caused by the ETEC group), but may make things worse for people infected with the notorious and dangerous O157:H7 strain (EHEC group).

Salmonella. The main strains of Salmonella live in the intestines of animals commonly used for food, including poultry, swine, and cattle. Salmonella has been traced to contaminated peanuts, jalapeño peppers, eggs, chicken, beef, and other foods. The major symptoms are cramps and diarrhea. Most patients recover in four to seven days; antibiotics are reserved for severe cases.

Campylobacter. E. coli and Salmonella get all the press, but Campylobacter is much more common, causing millions of cases of food poisoning in the United States each year. Undercooked poultry is the major source of infection; cramps, fever, and diarrhea are the main symptoms. Most people recover in seven to 10 days. Antibiotics can shorten the illness.

Harvard Men’s Health Watch offers some simple steps for protecting yourself against food-borne illness:

• Wash your hands before and after you prepare food, before you eat, and after using the bathroom.
• Wash foods, including fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, and meats.
• Wash utensils and cutting boards with soap and water, and use them for one food at a time between washings.
• Cook food thoroughly. Make sure the internal temperature of meat and poultry reaches at least 165°F (180°F for whole poultry). Cook eggs until yolks are firm.
• Refrigerate food within two hours. Thaw foods in the refrigerator or microwave, not at room temperature.

Read the full-length article: "Food-borne illnesses, Part II: Personal protection"