Bacteria sickens six in county

Six people have been sickened with a bacteria commonly found in raw meat in the past month in Whitman County.

Environmental director Michael Baker reported the cases to Whitman County commissioners at a health board meeting July 20.

“It makes you feel like you want to die,” Baker said of the bacteria.

According to a fact sheet published by the USDA, the bacteria is called campylobacter and is found in raw or undercooked meat or contact with the feces of animals carrying the bacteria. The USDA said the bacteria causes diarrhea and in some cases can cause death.

Campylobacter is a leading cause of food-borne illness, the USDA reported.

“So far, they seem to be isolated incidents,” Baker told the commissioners.

Baker said good prevention measures include regularly washing hands, making sure to fully cook raw meat and keeping raw meat separate from cooked meat.