5 Common Foodborne Bacteria to Avoid

By EatingWell Editors, "5 Guests You Never Want to Have for Dinner," September/October 2009

Bad bacteria you don’t want lurking in your food.

campylobacter

5. Campylobacter

Spiral-shaped bacteria that’s mostly associated with raw or undercooked poultry because it grows best at birds’ body temperature. Sometimes found in unpasteurized milk.

Charges: Punching people in the stomach with diarrhea (possibly bloody) and vomiting lasting up to 10 days (onset is two to five days after exposure). In people with compromised immune systems, the bacteria can spread to the blood. Other complications may include arthritis and Guillan-Barré syndrome.