As of July 1, 2008, 869 people in 36 states (and the District of Columbia) have been confirmed with salmonella infection related to the recent national outbreak, including two cases in El Paso County.

More than 100 of these people have required hospitalization. According to CDC estimates, the total number of people with related illnesses could be as high as 30,000 -- considering people who likely didn't seek medical attention. Health officials say this is why it's important to know what foodborne illness is, what causes it, and how to prevent it.

According to the officials with the El Paso County health department foodborne illness comes from eating contaminated food. People who eat contaminated food can develop anything from a short, mild illness (often mistaken as "food poisoning") to a life-threatening disease.

Foodborne illness typically includes symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. These illnesses often increase during the summertime.

Many people attribute their symptoms to “stomach flu.” This label is misleading since the flu (influenza) is a respiratory infection that is more common in the winter and rarely causes gastrointestinal illness.

People can get sick from eating foods already contaminated with germs, particularly undercooked meats or unwashed fruits or vegetables. Food also can become contaminated during preparation (e.g., someone with a stomach illness who doesn’t properly wash their hands before handling food).

Foodborne illness is often associated with the very last food that people eat, but the exposure may come from contaminated food eaten several hours to three or more days before symptoms begin.

Now that you understand what it is, here's how you can protect your family from foodborne illness:

1) Clean: wash your hands with warm water and soap (for at least fifteen seconds) before and after preparing foods, and before eating. Wash the outside skins and rinds of fruits and vegetables to remove lingering germs and chemicals.

2) Separate: separate raw meat and poultry from ready-to-eat foods such as raw fruits and vegetables.

3) Cook: thoroughly cook foods -- especially fish and meats. Use a probe thermometer to check internal food temperatures. Don’t assume that food is fully cooked by its appearance.

4) Chill: Refrigerate perishable foods at 41 °F or lower.

For more information on foodborne illness, you can go to the EPC health department's website by clicking the link below.