Features
These CDC Features and related stories give consumers information they need to protect themselves and their families from illnesses that can come from germs in food, water, and other places. They also highlight CDC's role in detecting and responding to outbreaks, tracking trends in illnesses, and providing important health and safety information to the public.
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Food Safety
Foods and Germs
Be Food Safe
Most people do not think about food safety until they or someone they know becomes infected with foodborne illness. People usually become infected with foodborne illness when they eat a contaminated food item.
Raw (Unpasteurized) Milk
Raw milk can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick or kill you. If you're thinking about drinking raw milk because you believe it has health benefits, consider other options.
E. coli Infection
Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick. Learn about E. coli and what you can do to help lower the risk of infection.
Home Canning and Botulism
Home canning is an excellent way to preserve garden produce and share it with family and friends, but it can be risky or even deadly if not done correctly and safely.
Salmonella is a Sneaky Germ: Seven Tips for Safer Eating
Salmonella can contaminate more than poultry and eggs. It sneaks its way into many foods— ground beef, pork, tomatoes, sprouts—even peanut butter. Learn what you can do to make your food safer to eat.
Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Salmonella from Eggs
Eggs are one of nature's most nutritious and economical foods. However, they also carry a significant risk of carrying Salmonella if not handled or cooked correctly. Learn how to reduce the risks of a Salmonella infection from eggs.
Prevent the Spread of Norovirus
Noroviruses spread easily, causing more than 20 million gastroenteritis cases each year in the U.S. There's no vaccine to prevent norovirus infection and no drug to treat it. Wash your hands often and follow simple tips to stay virus-free.
Tips to Prevent Illness from Clostridium Perfringens
Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States. Learn more on ways to prevent illness from this germ.
Seasons, Holidays, and Events
Spring and Summer Outdoor Safety
Nothing says summer like the smoky flavor of foods cooked out on the grill. When grilling, use meat thermometer, avoid cross-contamination, and keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
Summertime Safety
The return of warmer temperatures brings thoughts of freedom, relaxation, exploration, and being closer to nature. Whether you're relaxing in the backyard, turning up your garden, enjoying the pool, or exploring the great outdoors, here are some ways to help keep you and your family healthy this spring and summer.
Cupid is Coming! Tips for a Romantic – and Safe – Valentine's Dinner
Whether you're dining out or staying in for Valentine's Day, follow these tips for a romantic and safe Valentine's dinner.
It's Turkey Time: Safely Prepare Your Holiday Meal
Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice preparing your first holiday meal, be aware of safety issues when thawing, preparing, stuffing and cooking your turkey.
Twelve Healthy and Safe Tips for the Holidays
Pay special attention to your health and be safe this holiday season. Tips # 1 and 11 give helpful information on how to practice handwashing and food preparation during the holiday season.
Food Safety at Fairs and Festivals
A fun summer activity is attending fairs, festivals, carnivals, and rodeos. Follow these tips to have safe cooking, eating, and drinking experiences at those events.
Tips for a Safe and Healthy Family Reunion
Family reunions are a time to introduce and reinforce healthy living. If you are planning or participating in a family reunion, read more on how to make sure your family reunion is safe and healthy.
Pregnant Women and Infants
Prevent Infections in Pregnancy
Proper food preparation and frequent handwashing help pregnant mothers reduce their risk of infection during pregnancy. Read below to find out more on how to keep you and your new baby safe.
Protect Your Unborn Baby or Newborn from Infections
If you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy, there are simple steps you can take to protect your unborn baby or newborn from infections that cause serious health problems. Read more on how to protect you and your newborn from infection.
Holiday Food Safety During Pregnancy
Learn how to keep you and your unborn baby healthy this holiday season by being food safe.
Cronobacter Illness and Infant Formula
In infants, Cronobacter infection can cause a very rare, but serious illness. Learn what you can do to help lower the risk of infection from powdered infant formula.
Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness
Foodborne Disease Outbreaks are Deadly Serious – What You Can Do to Avoid Them
Many outbreaks result from food being contaminated when it is being prepared or served by a food worker with unwashed or improperly washed hands. Scientific evidence shows that preventing illness begins with the basics. Wash your hands thoroughly, with soap, before and after handling food. It can prevent illness and even death.
PulseNet and Foodborne Disease Outbreak Detection
PulseNet connects similar cases of foodborne illness together, quickly finding outbreaks, and linking these illnesses across states and countries. Read more about PulseNet's research and latest findings.
PulseNet at Work: Detecting Hazardous Hazelnuts
Foodborne disease detection is complicated. In 2010, PulseNet's bacteria detection and identification system helped to identify a strain of E. coli in small batches of hazlenuts. Read more about the PulseNet's team response to bacterial contamination in a newly-identified vehicle.
Surveillance for Norovirus Outbreaks
Noroviruses spread when people have contact with infected people, consume contaminated food or water, and touch contaminated objects or surfaces. Outbreaks occur often and can happen to people of all ages in a variety of settings.
Deadly Listeria Outbreak Halted in Record Time
The September 2011 Listeria outbreak, which was linked to a single cantaloupe farm in Colorado, is a textbook example of how investments in coordinated public health response can save lives.
Data and Statistics
Incidence of Foodborne Illness, 2010
Whether during the warm summer months or preparing for the winter holidays, food safety is vital all year round. Read about 2010 foodborne illness incidence detection by DFWED's FoodNet surveillance team.
2011 Estimates of Foodborne Illness in the United States
CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. The 2011 estimates provide the most accurate picture yet of which foodborne bacteria, viruses, microbes ("pathogens") are causing the most illnesses in the United States.
Foodborne Disease Outbreaks are Deadly Serious – What You Can Do to Avoid Them
Many outbreaks result from food being contaminated when it is being prepared or served by a food worker with unwashed or improperly washed hands. Scientific evidence shows that preventing illness begins with the basics. Wash your hands thoroughly, with soap, before and after handling food. It can prevent illness and even death.
PulseNet and Foodborne Disease Outbreak Detection
PulseNet connects similar cases of foodborne illness together, quickly finding outbreaks, and linking these illnesses across states and countries. Read more about PulseNet's research and latest findings.
Surveillance for Norovirus Outbreaks
Noroviruses spread when people have contact with infected people, consume contaminated food or water, and touch contaminated objects or surfaces. Outbreaks occur often and can happen to people of all ages in a variety of settings.
Have You Heard? Facts From The Field: Foodborne Outbreaks
Have You Heard? Facts From The Field is a weekly feature from the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support to provide CDC and the field with facts and news from state, tribal, local and territorial public health agencies. We invite you to read and share this information broadly.
Environmental Health
Food Safety Differences Between Restaurants Linked and Not Linked to Outbreaks
This study described how restaurant traits (for example, number of meals served), policies, and practices were linked to foodborne illness outbreaks and to infected food workers as the cause of outbreaks.
Beliefs That Restaurant Meals Made People Sick
People need to know more so they can be protected from foodborne illness. But first, we need to know what people know and believe about foodborne illness.
Beef Grinding Records Kept by Retail Stores
Contaminated ground beef at retail stores like grocery stores can cause foodborne illness outbreaks. To stop further illness and outbreaks, we need to find the source of any ground beef that causes outbreaks.
Factors Affecting Safe Food Preparation by Food Workers and Managers
Studies have shown that food workers often do not handle food safely. To improve worker practices, we need to know the factors that affect those practices.
Food Worker Handwashing and Food Preparation
Proper handwashing can reduce germs on workers' hands. It can also reduce the spread of germs from hands to food and from food to other people.
Food Worker Handwashing and Restaurant Factors
The spread of germs from the hands of food workers to food is an important cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants. It accounts for 89% of outbreaks in which food was contaminated by food workers.
How Restaurants Handle Tomatoes
Researchers have suggested that how restaurant workers handle tomatoes may lead to germ growth on tomatoes. To prevent foodborne illness caused by tainted tomatoes, we must find out how workers handle tomatoes.
How Restaurants Prepare Eggs
It is important to collect data that will describe restaurant practices for egg handling that pose foodborne illness risks. This can help us address these risky practices so we can prevent illnesses.
Food Workers Working When They Are Sick
Food eaten at restaurants sometimes makes people sick because food workers handled the food when they were sick with vomiting or diarrhea.
How Environmental Health Specialists Investigate Outbreaks
Knowing the contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks is critical to stopping them. Environmental health specialists find contributing factors by investigating outbreaks.
Kitchen Manager Certification Study and Food Safety
Certified kitchen managers (CKMs) have passed a test to show knowledge of food safety. It is believed that CKMs are better able to control factors that can lead to foodborne illness.
Healthy Water
Handwashing
Wash Your Hands
Keeping hands clean is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness.
Hand Hygiene Saves Lives
Keeping hands clean is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness.
Twelve Healthy and Safe Tips for the Holidays
Pay special attention to your health and be safe this holiday season. Tips # 1 and 11 give helpful information on how to practice handwashing and food preparation during the holiday season.
Prevent Infections in Pregnancy
Proper food preparation and frequent handwashing help pregnant mothers reduce their risk of infection during pregnancy. Read below to find out more on how to keep you and your new baby safe.
Germs and Sickness
Balamuthia mandrillaris ameba infection
Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living ameba (a single-celled organism) found in soil and dust. Exposure to Balamuthia is likely to be common because of how widespread it is in the environment. However, very few cases of disease in humans have been found worldwide since Balamuthia was discovered.
Cronobacter Illness and Infant Formula
In infants, Cronobacter infection can cause a very rare, but serious illness. Learn what you can do to help lower the risk of infection from powdered infant formula.
Pink Eye: Usually Mild and Easy to Treat
Pink, itchy eyes? Conjunctivitis – or pink eye – is common in adults and children. It sometimes needs medical treatment, depending on the cause. Know the symptoms, get treatment if needed, and prevent it from spreading.
Healthy Swimming and Other Recreational Water Use
Healthy Swimming Year-Round
Stay healthy and avoid recreational water illnesses (RWIs) when you swim or use the hot tub by following some simple steps.
Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs)
Avoid Recreational Water Illnesses! Don't swim when ill with diarrhea; don't get water in your mouth; practice good hygiene.
Stay Safe While Boating
Wearing a life jacket can dramatically decrease your chances of drowning while boating. "Wear It!" every time you're on the water.
Leptospirosis Risk in Outdoor Activities
People who enjoy outdoor activities such as freshwater kayaking, rafting, canoeing or swimming may be at risk for leptospirosis. Learn how to help prevent infection and stay safe outdoors.
Summertime Safety
The return of warmer temperatures brings thoughts of freedom, relaxation, exploration, and being closer to nature. Whether you're relaxing in the backyard, turning up your garden, enjoying the pool, or exploring the great outdoors, here are some ways to help keep you and your family healthy this spring and summer.
Keep Kids Safe and Healthy This Summer
It's summertime! Be extra vigilant to prevent injury and keep your kids safe and healthy this summer.
Water-Related Emergencies
Returning Home After a Disaster: Be Healthy and Safe
Stay safe from hazards a storm may leave in your home. Read more about food and water hygiene safety after a disaster
Water-Related Observances
Ground Water Awareness Week March 11 – 17, 2012
Much of the water we use comes from the ground. Learn more about ground water, the threats to its safety and how to protect your own ground water sources during Ground Water Awareness Week.
Learn about World Water Day 2012
Learn about the 2012 World Water Day theme, "Water and Food Security: The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry," which focuses on the close link between water use and food production.
Drinking Water Week: Celebrate the Essential
Water is the foundation for life. Learn more about the vital role safe water plays in our lives and what CDC is doing to address challenges to our water supply.
Recreational Water Illness and Injury (RWII) Prevention Week
Having fun while you swim this summer means knowing how to prevent recreational water illnesses (RWIs) and injuries. Learn how to stay healthy and safe while enjoying the water!
Pets and Other Animals
Household Pets
Healthy Pets Healthy People
There are many positive benefits of owning a pet; however, it's important to know that some animals may carry germs that can be spread to people and cause illness.
Reptiles, Amphibians and Salmonella
Did you know that reptiles and amphibians like turtles, lizards, and frogs can carry a harmful germ called Salmonella? If there are young children in your home, reptiles and amphibians might not be safe pets for your family.
Salmonella from Dry Pet Foods and Treats
Dry pet food and treats often contain germs, such as Salmonella. It is important to know how to properly handle, store, and behave when handling dry pet foods and treats to minimize the risk of becoming ill. Follow these tips to help prevent an infection with Salmonella from handling dry pet food and treats.
Animals in Schools and Daycares Settings
Animals can provide important opportunities for entertainment and learning. However, there is also a risk for getting sick or hurt from contact with animals, including those in school and daycare classrooms.
Spring and Summer Outdoor Safety
While you're outside enjoying the weather, remember to protect your pets too. Keeping healthy pets will help keep you and your family healthy.
Farms and Other Animals
Risk of Human Salmonella Infections from Live Baby Poultry
Live baby poultry, such as chicks, ducklings, goslings, and baby turkeys, can carry harmful germs called Salmonella. After you touch a chick, duckling, or other baby bird, or anything in the area where they live and roam, WASH YOUR HANDS so you don't get sick!
Keeping Live Poultry
Live poultry, such as chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, often carry harmful germs called Salmonella. Learn more about how to reduce your risk of contracting Salmonella-related illness.
Stay Healthy at Animal Exhibits this Summer
There are many ways to explore the animal world. Follow these tips to help you prevent illness when visiting animal exhibits this summer.
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