I have just eaten half-cooked hamburger (By accident, of course) What are the chances of me getting salmonella

Question

I pan-fried some hamburgers to eat, and I took 'em off when I thought that they were cooked. But they weren't. Half way through a hamburger (Half-way) I discovered that the meat was only half cooked, even though it had previosuly tasted delicious. What are the chances of me being infected with salmonella and/or e. coli. and if the chances are high, how long would it take for the sickness to "kick in"? Please, no silly answers, estimates or guesses, this is serious business.

Yes, I know I'm being.. uh.. a hypochondriac, but I do worry about these things. I just don't want to get sick. And please, no treatments with alcohol. I'm only 13- I'm not old enough!

The hamburger was from Sobeys (For those of you not in-the-know, that's a grocery chain store.

I think they cooked for...maybe 6-7 minutes? Okay, let's admit it, I'm not world's greatest chef. Never will be.

Answer 1

I could appreciate your apprehension upon consuming that half-cooked hamburger. Maybe, because you're not used to eating meats cooked very rare such as steaks or prime rib. I, myself do not like to eat raw meat or fish such as shashimi. Whenever, we go to restaurants and I would order steak; I always insist that I don't want to see any blood or red in my meat. Neither, do i want it burned or become tough from overcooking.

However, you shouldn't concern yourself. . The likelihood of you contracting salmonella food poisoning is slim or nil at best. Usually, supermarkets are stringent in the freshness of their meats as most are supervised and approved by USDA. So the slaughterhouses for these cows are regulated by laws. and the Dept of Health.

Years ago, I contracted salmonella food poisoning from eating spoiled cooked fish. Even though, I ate minute amts I ended up with fever, severe diarrhea and vomiting. I would have lessen the danger if I reheated or recooked it. I know of two pts.... a mother and a daughter who died from botulinum food poisoning from eating poorly home prepared canned cabbage. Their deaths would have been prevented if they recook them before eating. Heating at 212 degree farenheit would kill any possible bacteria; except the mad cow's disease bacteria.



Improperly handled or undercooked poultry and eggs are the foods which most frequently cause Salmonella food poisoning. Anyone may contract Salmonella food poisoning, but the disease is most serious in infants, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems

Even if Salmonella-containing foods such as chicken are thoroughly cooked, any food can become contaminated during preparation if conditions and equipment for food preparation are unsanitary.

Another concern:of yours. E.coli food poisoning.

E. coli food poisoning is commonly called hamburger disease because it is often acquired by eating poorly-cooked minced beef. When contaminated beef is ground up, the bacteria are spread throughout the meat, and are killed only by thorough cooking. It is estimated that as few as 10 surviving bacteria will establish an infection.

So next time to avoid any cause for alarm, make sure your meats are well cooked. The use of the seasonings of lemons, soysauce, alcohol and vinegar are reccommended for its antimicrobacterial properties. Vinegar kills and retard the growth of microorganisms by raising the acidity level of the digestive system. And if you don't have the symptoms by now most likely, you will just be fine.

The acute symptoms of Salmonella gastroenteritis include the sudden onset of nausea, abdominal cramping, and bloody diarrhea with mucous. Fever is almost always present. Vomiting is less common than diarrhea. Headaches, myalgias (muscle pain), and arthralgias (joint pain) are often reported as well.

I hope this thoroughly researched answer would help to allay your well-founded anxieties.. And it's okay to be a hypochondriac. Doctors and nurses are well known hypochondriacs.; because of their knowledge of the pathophysiology of the different diseases and illnesses. By being a hypochondriac; you're careful of what's goes inside your digestive system. Do you know that majority of our health problems aside from genetics, come from what we eat.? Your everyday average hypochondriac tend to follow a healthy way of living.

Answer 2

little to none for salmonella. E-coli is seen in hamburgers and salmonella in chicken. That being said your body will most likely digest and kill any live organisms but there is a chance you can get sick still. It depends greatly on how hot the internal temp of the burger got. If you will get sick it will be 24 hours or less.

Answer 3

First, salmonella contamination is very unlikely (many people eat ground beef raw frequently). Even if the burger had salmonella you would just get some diarrhea and vomiting for a few days unless you got a huge dose or have an immune system problem like AIDS, diabetes or cancer.

Answer 4

"McGee" has given some valid points, but I would like to add that salmonella and e. Coli are bacteria, not viruses. Salmonella typically isn't caused by improper human handling of eggs; the bacteria comes from the hen itself (salmonella-contaminated ovaries), bedding, feces, or cage material the eggs are laid on. Salmonella can be both on the inside and outside of the egg. The percentage of eggs that contain salmonella can vary (according to who you ask), but it's generally very small. Based on your information, you should be fine. Your "runny" eggs were probably sufficiently cooked (about 165 degrees is optimum for eggs) to kill anything that might have been lurking in them.

Answer 5

Probably you will not get either, or if you do, you won't notice.
Did your hamburger come from a clean source?
Salmonella and e.coli are both cross-contaminants, so if proper methods were used, you are save.
BTW, I eat rare burgers all the time with no problems.

Answer 6

I know people that eat completely raw hamburger on occasion and don't get sick. The chances are very slim. Try to relax. If you're going to get sick, you'll start to feel ill within a few hours.

Answer 7

i would say the chances are very slim, i have worked as a cook for close to five years now. i worked under a chef once who would taste seasoned raw beef every time before cooking it and she never once got sick. most meats are packaged and handled well and are maintained at refrigerated temp.s until cooked. if you did contract something it usually takes 24hours to start experiencing signs of food poisoning. i wouldn't be to worried though

Answer 8

Chances are very good you'll be completely fine. Some people prefer their burgers to be that way, and eat partially cooked burgers all the time, and most of them do not get ill from it.

~Kyle

Answer 9

Very low. I prefer mine medium rare. It's possible you might have diarrhea tomorrow, but it's a long shot and salmonella and E. coli diarrhea tend to be mild and self-limited unless treated (yes, those given antibiotics tend to do worse).

Answer 10

I would say next to zero. I always eat my burgers medium rare and have never gotten ill from them.

As far as symptoms setting in, I would say about 12 to 24 hours depending on the person. The same goes with the severity as well.