Foodborne Illness

Recently an outbreak of Listeriosis has caused a number of people to get sick in Colorado and surrounding states. Listeria and other foodborne illnesses, such as salmonella, E. coli and hepatitis A, can cause serious illness and are transmitted in a variety of ways, including unsafe handling and ingesting undercooked foods. So how can you avoid these illnesses, and what should you do if you do get sick? You can find answers to both questions from the Colorado Dept. of Health & Environment (CDPHE)’s webpage. There you can find out what temperature to cook your food, what to do with the food in your refrigerator if your power goes out, and how to report if you’ve become sick after eating at a restaurant. For data on foodborne illness outbreaks over the past decade, see this summary from the CDPHE. Also, we have in our collection a video, Preventing Foodborne Illness, and a fact sheet from Colorado State University that can also help answer some of your questions.