A very serious reason to never eat uncooked chickenToday’s tip concerns a terrible and shocking story out of Greece. As reported by Newsweek, a 37-year-old mother (a healthy triathlete to boot) “died on vacation after she ate uncooked chicken.” The woman was traveling with her family in Corfu and had eaten what seemed to be a run-of-the-mill meal at a hotel restaurant. At the dinner, “Natalie chose chicken, salad, prawns and vegetables. As she ate the chicken, it bled a little so she replaced it with another piece. She then ate a few mouthfuls of the second piece. By 3 a.m. that night, she was vomiting in the hotel bathroom. Within 36 hours, her condition had dramatically worsened. Rawnsley died after clots formed in blood vessels across her body.”

An investigation into her death established a cause unfamiliar to me: gastroenteritis, “a common condition that can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, such as E-coli. It triggers symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and a fever, which come on suddenly. These symptoms generally pass within a week. Anyone can develop gastroenteritis, but young children and older adults with weak immune systems are most likely to be affected. Those who are in close contact with others, for instance students living in college dorms or schoolchildren, are also at risk. There is no specific treatment for gastroenteritis…”

It’s common sense to not eat uncooked or undercooked meats, especially in an unfamiliar setting. But this story is a reminder to be diligent—and what the most extreme stakes are when you’re not. Here’s more on gastroenteritis from the Mayo Clinic.

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3 Comments On "A Very Serious Reason to Never Eat Uncooked Chicken"
  1. Kathy|

    This is a tragedy, but I believe a more accurate description would be ‘undercooked’ chicken, not “uncooked” chicken. Big difference.

  2. Susan Bissette|

    Sounds like this was a more serious case of “gastroenteritis” probably caused by Clostridium deficile which can be a very serious infection, often contracted from undercooked chicken.

  3. Bryant|

    I was in Corfu a couple of years ago. Thank God I didn’t eat Chicken there. That said, there are many great restaurants in Corfu you won’t have a problem with!

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