With the festive season and warm temperatures upon us, Western Australians are being warned to take care when storing and preparing food.
WA Health’s Executive Director Environmental Health, Dr Michael Lindsay said bacterial contaminants thrived in hot weather, increasing the risk of people contracting gastro illnesses.
“So far this year, there has been more than 6,000 reports of people with notifiable diseases that are mostly associated with foodborne illness,” Dr Lindsay said.
“Seventy per cent of these notifications were caused by Campylobacter bacteria."
People infected with Campylobacter commonly experience symptoms of diarrhoea, cramping, nausea, vomiting and fever which can last up to 10 days.
Just under one-fifth of people with Campylobacter infection require hospitalisation, and in rare cases, the bacteria can cause more serious long-term diseases.
Dr Lindsay warned people not to rely on smell alone to gauge the safety of food as food poisoning bacteria often doesn’t cause food to look, smell or taste spoiled.
He said people should take simple steps to prevent food poisoning caused by Campylobacter and other bacteria:
- Cook foods, especially chicken, eggs, and mince, all the way through to kill bacteria. If you are cooking chicken on the barbeque, cook it until the juices run clear. If you have a thermometer, check that the thickest part of the meat is at least 75⁰C. Always follow cooking instructions on packs.
- Separate foods such as raw meat, cooked meat, eggs and fruit and vegetables to prevent cross-contamination in the fridge and when cooking. Use separate utensils and chopping boards. Never wash raw chicken as it spreads bacteria around your kitchen.
- Clean utensils and benchtops with hot soapy water before and after use. Wash hands with soap and water before and immediately after handling raw meat.
- Chill perishable foods below 5̊C. Perishable foods left out of the fridge for more than four hours should be thrown out.
Dr Lindsay said anyone who suspects they have become ill from eating contaminated food should consult their doctor as soon as possible.
“Food poisoning can be due to eating food prepared in the home or from takeaway/restaurants,” he said.
“Anyone who thinks their illness is due to food eaten from takeaway or a restaurant in the 48 hours prior to becoming unwell should also notify the environmental health officer at their local government authority.”
Campylobacter can also be spread through contact with dogs, cats, chickens and farm animals who are carrying the bacteria.
People are discouraged from feeding raw chicken to their dogs to reduce the risk of contracting Campylobacter.
Dr Lindsay urged people to continue practising good hand hygiene to avoid getting sick.Foodborne campylobacteriosis (illness associated with Campylobacter infection) is estimated to have cost the WA community around $45 million in 2023.
For more tips on how to prevent foodborne illness this summer visit Healthy WA.
(ENDS)
Note for newsrooms:
Data on Campylobacter and other notifiable diseases is available on the Notifiable infectious disease dashboard.
The dashboard shows that:
- in 2023, there were 4,792 Campylobacter cases in WA.
- in 2024 to date, there were 4,617 Campylobacter cases in WA.
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E: media@health.wa.gov.au
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