What to do if you eat undercooked meat

Q: Can you eat undercooked meat and not get sick?

While eating rare meat doesnt guarantee anything bad will happen to you, it does increase your risk of getting a food-borne illness, such as E. coli, salmonella or listeria.

We have to face facts that our fresh food supply has germs. Thankfully, most of the time there is no problem at all. Raw or undercooked meat can result in a type of food poisoning, but this rarely happens. If a child tastes or eats raw meat, the adults think they should try to gag it out of them, but this is a bad idea. It doesn’t really empty the stomach and it can hurt the child. The best thing to do is to call the poison center and let them help you watch for any future problems.

Table of Contents Show

How long after eating undercooked beef Will I get sick?
What should I do if I ate raw beef?
What are the chances of getting sick from undercooked hamburger?
Can you eat undercooked meat and not get sick?

If you find your child with raw meat, do not panic. Take the meat away from them, wipe out the mouth with a soft, wet cloth and give them some water to drink. If you have questions or want some help watching this, call the Missouri Poison Center right away at 1-800-222-1222. The poison center is open all day, every day for problems and questions just like this.

What is trichinellosis?

Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. Infection occurs commonly in certain wild carnivorous (meat-eating) animals such as bear or cougar, or omnivorous (meat and plant-eating) animals such as domestic pigs or wild boar.

What are the signs and symptoms of a trichinellosis?

The signs, symptoms, severity and duration of trichinellosis vary. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal discomfort are often the first symptoms of trichinellosis. Headaches, fevers, chills, cough, swelling of the face and eyes, aching joints and muscle pains, itchy skin, diarrhea, or constipation may follow the first symptoms. If the infection is heavy, patients may experience difficulty coordinating movements, and have heart and breathing problems. In severe cases, death can occur.

For mild to moderate infections, most symptoms subside within a few months. Fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, and diarrhea may last for months.

How soon after infection will symptoms appear?

Abdominal symptoms can occur 1–2 days after infection. Further symptoms usually start 2–8 weeks after eating contaminated meat. Symptoms may range from very mild to severe and relate to the number of infectious worms consumed in meat. Often, mild cases of trichinellosis are never specifically diagnosed and are assumed to be the flu or other common illnesses.

How does infection occur in humans and animals?

When a human or animal eats meat that contains infective Trichinella larvae, the acid in the stomach dissolves the hard covering of the cyst around the larvae and releases the worms. The worms pass into the small intestine and, in 1–2 days, become mature. After mating, adult females lay eggs. Eggs develop into immature worms, travel through the arteries, and are transported to muscles. Within the muscles, the worms curl into a ball and encyst (become enclosed in a capsule). The life cycle repeats when meat containing these encysted worms is consumed by another human or animal.

Am I at risk for trichinellosis?

If you eat raw or undercooked meats, particularly bear, pork, wild feline (such as a cougar), fox, dog, wolf, horse, seal, or walrus, you are at risk for trichinellosis.

Can I spread trichinellosis to others?

No. Infection can only occur by eating raw or undercooked meat containing Trichinella worms.

What should I do if I think I have trichinellosis?

See your health care provider who can order tests and treat symptoms of trichinellosis . If you have eaten raw or undercooked meat, you should tell your health care provider.

How is trichinellosis infection diagnosed?

A blood test or muscle biopsy can show if you have trichinellosis.

How is trichinellosis infection treated?

Several safe and effective prescription drugs are available to treat trichinellosis. Treatment should begin as soon as possible and the decision to treat is based upon symptoms, exposure to raw or undercooked meat, and laboratory test results.

Is trichinellosis common in the United States?

Trichinellosis used to be more common and was usually caused by ingestion of undercooked pork. However, infection is now relatively rare. During 2011–2015, 16 cases were reported per year on average. The number of cases decreased beginning in the mid-20th century because of legislation prohibiting the feeding of raw-meat garbage to hogs, commercial and home freezing of pork, and the public awareness of the danger of eating raw or undercooked pork products. Cases are less commonly associated with pork products and more often associated with eating raw or undercooked wild game meats.

How can I prevent trichinellosis?

The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to safe temperaturesexternal iconexternal icon. A food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Do not sample meat until it is cooked.
Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat alone does not consistently kill infective worms; homemade jerky and sausage were the cause of many cases of trichinellosis reported to CDC in recent years.
Freeze pork less than 6 inches thick for 20 days at 5°F (-15°C) to kill any worms.
Freezing wild game meats, unlike freezing pork products, may not effectively kill all worms because some worm species that infect wild game animals are freeze-resistant.
Clean meat grinders thoroughly after each use.

To help prevent Trichinella infection in animal populations, do not allow pigs or wild animals to eat uncooked meat, scraps, or carcasses of any animals, including rats, which may be infected with Trichinella.

More on: Fight BAC: Safe Food Handlingexternal iconexternal icon

How long after eating undercooked beef Will I get sick?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) Most cases of E. coli food poisoning occur after eating undercooked beef (particularly mince, burgers and meatballs) or drinking unpasteurised milk. The incubation period for food poisoning caused by E. coli is typically one to eight days. The symptoms usually last for a few days or weeks.

What should I do if I ate raw beef?

If all else fails and you do come down with an unfortunate case of food poisoning from undercooked meat, then stay hydrated, and see a doctor or healthcare provider if your symptoms don't go away for a few days, or if you develop a fever.

What are the chances of getting sick from undercooked hamburger?

That works out to odds of 1:50 of a burger-lover getting an E. coli O157 infection during his lifetime, but only to 1:800,000 odds of him being infected on a single eating occasion. What about getting Salmonella from undercooked eggs?

Can you eat undercooked meat and not get sick?

While eating rare meat doesn't guarantee anything bad will happen to you, it does increase your risk of getting a food-borne illness, such as E. coli, salmonella or listeria.