Clean Hands Key to Keeping Shorewood Healthy in Face of Deadly Bacteria

In the wake of the deadliest outbreak of E. coli in modern times across the Atlantic, the Will County Health Department has advice for keeping yourself safe:

Wash your hands a lot.

“The European E. coli outbreak currently in the news is graphic illustration of something that the public health community emphasizes every chance it gets,” said John Cicero, the health department's executive director.

“Bacteria and viruses capable of making us sick are everywhere," Cicero said. "They’re in the food we eat and in the water we drink. That’s why hand washing is so critically important.”

According to a statement released by the health department, there are hundreds of strains of E. coli bacteria and most of them are harmless.  The strain linked to the outbreak ongoing in at least 13 European countries is a rare, drug-resistant form responsible for more than 2,200 recent illnesses and at least 22 fatalities in Germany and Sweden. 

“It’s virtually impossible to overemphasize the importance of hand-washing before preparing or eating food,” Cicero said. “Raw vegetables and fruit should also be washed thoroughly before eating. Of course, making informed food choices can also help you to avoid a potential illness."

Cicero also advised cooking meat thoroughly and not storing raw meat on shelves above other items in your refrigerator.

The strain of E. coli currently circulating in Europe has been linked to a potentially dangerous complication involving kidney failure. Another E. coli strain linked to numerous U.S. foodborne outbreaks also produces kidney complications.

“Public health inspections at local food service establishments are designed to help minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses,” Cicero said. “There are approximately 2,800 food service establishments in Will County, and Will County Environmental Health inspects all of them regularly. It’s just one way public health works to protect all of us against potentially serious foodborne infections.”