RELATED: If You’re Over 65, Never Drink This While Eating, New Study Says. Anyone can get food poisoning, especially if they come in contact with the four major foodborne germs: Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. coli. But according to the CDC, people 65 and older are more likely to get sick with food poisoning and have a more serious illness. “Older adults have a higher risk because as people age, their immune systems and organs don’t recognize and get rid of harmful germs as well as they once did,” the CDC explains. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), older adults have gastrointestinal tracts that hold onto food for a longer period of time, allowing bacteria to grow; livers and kidneys that have a harder time properly getting rid of foreign bacteria; and stomachs that may not produce enough acid to reduce the amount of bacteria in their intestinal tracts. If you are more likely to get severe illness from food poisoning, the CDC says there are certain foods you should not eat. People 65 and older should avoid eating undercooked or raw food from animals, like beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, or seafood, as well as raw or lightly cooked sprouts. They should also not eat or drink unpasteurized milk products and juices, or eat soft cheeses, like queso fresco, unless there is a label stating that it has been made with pasteurized milk. The CDC notes that children younger than 5, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant people should also avoid these foods, as they, too, have a higher risk of severe food poisoning. RELATED: For more health advice delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Normal symptoms of food poisoning typically include diarrhea, vomiting, upset stomach, or nausea. But if you fall into one of the more at-risk groups, you should be on the lookout for signs of severe food poisoning. According to the CDC, this includes diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, diarrhea that lasts for more than three days and is not improving, bloody diarrhea, extreme vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down, and dehydration. The agency says you should immediately contact your healthcare provider if you experience any of these issues.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Every year, 48 million people in the U.S. get sick with a foodborne illness, according to the CDC. Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die as a result. Older adults are more at risk for these serious outcomes. According to the CDC, nearly half of people 65 and older who get food poisoning from one of the four major foodborne germs end up being hospitalized. One of the main germs putting older adults at risk is Listeria, which is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the U.S. The CDC says more than half of all Listeria infections occur in people 65 and older, with the bacteria often contaminating foods like deli meats, cheese, and sprouts. RELATED: Walking Exactly This Much a Week Adds Years to Your Life, Study Says.
