Chicken is one of the most popular sources of protein out there and most people prefer it over lamb or beef due to its higher protein and lower fat content when compared to other types of meat. However, it’s important that we cook raw meat thoroughly in order to make it completely safe for consumption.
Microorganisms Found in Raw Meat
This is because many pathogens and microorganisms can be found in raw or uncooked meat. According to consumer reports, bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter could be present in up to two-thirds of all of the chicken sold in the United States.
In addition to these two bacteria, there are several other pathogens like E. coli, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus that can be found in raw chicken. To take extra precautions, in addition to cooking chicken properly, it is also a good practice to clean your hands and utensils thoroughly after handling raw meat.
Symptoms of Foodborne Infections
Campylobacter is found in meat that has come in contact with animal feces and can lead to mild symptoms like bloody diarrhea to, in some cases, more serious medical complications. Salmonella, on the other hand, can be found in the gut of farm animals like chickens and can infect our intestinal tract to cause food poisoning, gastroenteritis, enteric fever, typhoid fever, and other illnesses.
If you’ve accidentally consumed raw or uncooked chicken containing one or more of these microorganisms, you could be prone to symptoms like:
- muscle pain
- headache
- fever
- vomiting
- nausea
- abdominal cramps
- diarrhea
In case you’ve come into contact with Salmonella, symptoms usually start to show after two days whereas if you’ve consumed Campylobacter, these symptoms could take anywhere from two to ten days to manifest. In most cases, these symptoms subside within four days but in cases of severe Campylobacter infection, one might even need antibiotics.
Treatment
Most of the symptoms of foodborne illnesses subside within a few days and in some cases, you might even recover within a few hours. In case of diarrhea, it is important not to get dehydrated and top up your bodily fluids by drinking plenty of water.
If the symptoms last for more than a couple of days, it’s advisable to immediately consult a medical professional who can prescribe Antidiarrheal drugs and antibiotics. In severe cases like typhoid fever, bacteremia, and Guillain-Barré syndrome, hospitalization may be required. In life-threatening cases like Guillain-Barré syndrome, there is no known cure but treatment is aimed at resolving complications and speeding up recovery.