Daily HealthBeat Tip - August 28, 2007

When germs get in the food

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

When there’s an outbreak of illness from bacteria in food, America has a system to get that food out of the supply chain.

But people still have to act to protect themselves and their families. A study from the University of California, Berkeley, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, has practical steps that could help people.

Using a mathematical model, the researchersestimate that good hygiene could have prevented up to 11 percent of illnesses in the 2006 outbreak involving E. coli bacteria in spinach.

CDC’s Martin Meltzer:

``These interventions included hand washing, avoiding contact with anybody who had diarrhea, making sure that kitchen surfaces and utensils are properly cleaned up after preparing food, and staying home from work or school for any gastrointestinal illnesses.’’ (13 seconds)

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August, 28 2007