F ood poisoning outbreaks -- like the one in August 1997 that led to the recall of 25 million pounds of possibly tainted hamburger meat -- have become a fact of life.

It’s estimated that up to 81 million cases of food-borne illness -- including 9,000 fatal cases -- occur in the US each year.

The usual symptoms are violent abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Complications can include arthritis, bladder infection and even miscarriage.

Children, the elderly and people with immune system problems are at special risk for permanent organ damage -- or death.

WHY NOW?

Food poisoning has always been around, but modern agricultural practices have made the problem much worse.

Cattle, chickens and other animals are now raised in "factory farms" that subject them to extreme crowding and stress.

These conditions increase the animals’ susceptibility to infections and let bacteria spread like wildfire.

Also: Commercial animal feeds often contain slaughterhouse scraps (leftovers and refuse), chicken manure, even euthanized pets from animal shelters -- a veritable "soup" of pathogens that enters the food chain. Global food distribution is also to blame. We get coconut milk from Thailand and tomatoes from Mexico.

Trap: When we import food, we import the sanitation practices of its place of origin. Four years ago, more than 1,000 Americans were sickened by raspberries imported from Guatemala.

The worst outbreaks in recent years have involved hamburger contaminated by E. coli.

This bacterium, an inhabitant of the large intestine of all mammals, is usually harmless. But a strain that emerged in the 1980s (0157:H7) secretes a toxin that can shut down the kidneys, destroy muscle and cause brain damage and even death.

FOODS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Any meat can be contaminated with E. coli, but the bacteria stay on the outside of muscle meats (steaks, roasts, etc.).

Grinding meat spreads the bacteria throughout it, and some of the scraps that end up in hamburger are especially likely to contain bacteria.

Poultry can also be contaminated by E. coli. But a more common threat is Salmonella, a microbe that has become especially virulent in recent years.

Campylobacter, the most common cause of diarrhea in the US, is almost always present in chicken feather follicles. Complications of this infection include arthritis and the paralyzing neurological disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Raw shellfish can spread hepatitis and other diseases. Vibrio vulnificus, a newcomer to the contamination scene, has caused death in people with liver or immune system problems.

Eggs, even if they’re uncracked, may contain Salmonella.

Raw fish like sushi or seared tuna may contain parasites.

Fruits and vegetables are safer than meat or poultry, but they too can be contaminated by contact with bacteria in water or soil. This is a special danger with produce grown in countries with poor sanitation practices.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Knowing what I do about contamination, I urge everyone to approach meat and poultry with extreme caution.

Every piece of raw animal food brought into your home should be treated as if it were contaminated. Cook meats and poultry enough to kill bacteria. Hamburger and poultry shouldn’t be pink inside, and poultry juices should run clear.

Use a meat thermometer to make sure meat’s interior temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Pork should reach 170 degrees. Poultry should reach 185 degrees.

Don’t let raw meat contaminate foods you eat uncooked. Get out all the utensils, pans and dishes you’ll use to prepare meat in advance.

After touching uncooked meat, don’t touch knobs, faucets or other foods until you’ve washed your hands.

After preparing meats, clean counters using a disinfecting solution made of one teaspoon of bleach in a quart of water.

Use separate cutting boards for meats and for other foods. Disinfect or wash boards with hot, soapy water. Air-dry after use.

Only eat eggs that are fully cooked. Avoid foods prepared with raw eggs, like Caesar salad or hollandaise sauce.

Wash all vegetables and fruits thoroughly -- I use a soft-bristle brush -- with water and olive oil soap or another mild soap. Soak greens, changing the water as many times as needed to get them clean.

To avoid "imported" microbes, ask your grocer where his fruits and vegetables come from... and buy locally grown produce whenever possible.

Refrigerate cooked foods within two hours.

EATING OUT

In restaurants that I patronize frequently, I get to know the cooks and make sure food is handled safely. I order cooked foods. If a dish is not hot all the way through, I send it back.

I eat restaurant salads but avoid salad bars. The "fixings" have been handled by many people and may have been sitting too long without sufficient refrigeration.