You are at risk of food-borne illness

What are your chances of food poisoning, or worse The estimated annual incidence of food-borne diseases varies from 6. 5 million to 81 million cases nationally, although some experts believe the number is as high as 300 million.

The estimated annual incidence of food-borne diseases varies from 6. 5 million to 81 million cases nationally, although some experts believe the number is as high as 300 million. For older children and adults more healthy ingestion of infective dose of food-borne germs leads to little more than a few days of diarrhea or vomiting. Other people become extremely ill with such diseases as sanguinolenta, dehydration, renal failure, arthritis, paralysis or meningitis.

Each year, die an estimated 9000 American complications of foodborne diseases.

There are factors which place people at higher risk for food borne diseases, and this may vary as we get older. Food safety experts urge us, especially high-risk individuals and their loved ones, to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, wash hands before eating, to avoid Cross-contaminating your food and exercise caution when dining out.

Are you or someone in your family at high risk for foodborne disease now? Take the quiz below to find out.

Are you (or your child) in 5 years
Has more than 75 years
You're pregnant
You take antacids regularly
You're taking an antibiotic
You have just finished a course of treatment with antibiotics for less than two weeks
You have HIV, AIDS or other immune system disorder
You are taking medication that suppresses the immune system
Underwent gastric surgery
Have you ever had an organ transplant
You have Hodgkin's disease, leukemia or lymphoma
You're undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer
You have chronic lung or heart disease
Are undernourished
You drink two or more alcoholic beverages per day
You have liver disease
Has a long time user steroids (for conditions such as asthma or arthritis)

If you answered Yes to any of the above questions, you may be at risk for foodborne illness.

You can still learn more on www.foodborneillness.org  and  http://www.nichd.nih.gov/