Can Raw Chicken Kill You (Risk Factors)

People ask can raw chicken kill you when you eat it, and in this article, we will find out if eating raw meat can kill you.

Can raw chicken kill you?

Raw chicken is not harmful and will not create toxicity in food, however, raw chicken is only safe to eat when properly handled, because it can lead to foodborne disease through consumption of germs such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Staphylococcus aureus.

Pathogens that can contaminate raw chicken

• Salmonella
• Campylobacter
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Shigella
• E. coli
• Clostridium perfringens
• Enterococcus
• Klebsiella

Nutrient Components of Chicken

Here is the major nutrient composition of chicken:

• Protein
• Vitamins
• Tryptophan
•  Choline
•  Zinc
•  Iron
•  Copper
• Fat
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Cholesterol
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium

How to handle raw chicken

The key to handling raw chicken safely is keeping it cold and following these few simple steps:

• Keep raw meats and poultry separate from other foods in the grocery cart
• Store raw chicken packages on the bottom shelf of the fridge, where it’s colder
• Thaw meat by refrigerating or running cold water over the package, rather than using a microwave
• Always cook raw chicken until it’s 165 °F (74 °C) throughout; use a digital thermometer to check for doneness.

If raw chicken has not been cooked at high temperatures, so it could contain harmful bacteria.

This is especially true if the chicken was left out too long or stored improperly. Cooking raw chicken to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit destroys these bacteria.

Different types of poultry also have different levels of risk.

Poultry such as duck and turkey are less likely to be contaminated than other poultry like chicken, turkey, and quail because they are usually handled more carefully and are less likely to come into contact with kitchen surfaces that may have been contaminated by raw meats.

Symptoms of eating contaminated raw chicken

If you eat undercooked meat, you risk getting sick. Some symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Stomach pain
• Fever (temperature)
• Bloody diarrhea
• Bloody vomit

You may have heard that raw chicken can kill you. Is this true?

No one knows for sure, but there are some people who believe it can if the bacteria is not cooked to the right temperature.

Others think it’s unlikely because the chicken would have to be eaten in large quantities and raw, without being properly cooked first.

Only a few cases of people getting sick from undercooked chicken have been documented.

One was a pregnant woman who ate rice with undercooked chicken, and she had E. coli poisoning.

Another was a 5-year-old boy who ate an undercooked piece of roast chicken at daycare, but he didn’t get sick.

Can Raw Chicken Kill You When Frozen

Frozen raw chicken is not safe to consume and will give you foodborne illness if it contains germs that cause sicknesses, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Staphylococcus aureus, some of these germs will survive at very low temperatures therefore you should avoid eating frozen raw chicken.

Most pathogens of bacteria do not survive all freezing conditions, but some will become silent and active after thawing.

Recommended article: Does Meat Go Bad in The Freezer: What You Should Know.

Raw Chicken And Risk Factors

Raw chicken is not good for your health, no matter what you know or think, it is always better to process your raw chicken before eating.

Now let’s try and answer some questions you may have about raw chicken, so keep reading.

All raw meat is not 100% safe to eat, so try to process your meat before consumption.

Raw Chicken Risk Factors

Campylobacter, salmonella, and E. coli can lead to disease when using raw chicken. Abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever are among the symptoms. These bugs may in certain circumstances lead to severe conditions.

What should I do if I ate raw chicken?

People should, however, make sure that they drink lots of water, particularly if they get vomiting or diarrhea.

A person can drink to substitute fluids and electrolytes, here are what to drink if you ingest lots of raw:

• Oral rehydration solutions
• Enough water
• Enough diluted fruit juice
• Good sports drinks
• Clear broths

If the symptoms persist, then you need to see your doctor.

How long after eating raw chicken will you get sick?

If you eat contaminated raw chicken, the symptoms usually occur within 24 hours and may last for 7 days, within this period you will experience nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach, cramps, stomach pain, fever, bloody diarrhea, and bloody vomit.

Most people know you may become ill from raw chicken, which is why eating raw chicken is not a popular practice. Raw chicken can also kill you, possibly if you don’t act.

What is more, it is far less usual than many people assume, to acquire food poisoning from consuming raw chicken.

And you will be able to consume it without concern if you prepare your chicken properly and keep it safe to avoid bacteria from developing.

Will one bite of raw chicken make you sick?

Yes, one bite of contaminated raw chicken will get you sick and symptoms range from nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach, cramps, stomach pain, fever, bloody diarrhea, and bloody vomit and will usually occur within 24 hours and may last to 7 days.

However, if the raw chicken is not contaminated one bite of raw chicken can not make you sick but can cause irritation or allergies.

Why is raw chicken so dangerous?

Raw chicken is said to be dangerous because raw chicken has a high chance of getting contaminated with Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella, E. coli, and Clostridium perfringens which are harmful and can get you sick.

Can you eat fresh raw chicken?

You can eat fresh raw chicken provided the raw chicken is free from bacteria pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella, E. coli, and Clostridium perfringens which can get you sick.

Why does raw chicken have bacteria?

Raw chicken has lots of bacteria because of bad handling of the raw chicken during processing as well as cross-contamination of bacteria pathogens and also the raw chicken coming in contact with a contaminated surface.

Raw chicken can also have bacteria pathogens due to the type of food the chicken ate before it was killed.

Bacteria pathogens live in the gut of life fowl without harming them, but if you eat the fowl without proper processing you get infected with these bacteria.

Conclusion On Can Raw Chicken Kill You

Raw chicken is safe to eat if you cook it correctly. Cooking kills germs that can make you sick.

If you don’t cook it, the germs are not killed and can make you very sick. Raw chicken may contain campylobacter, salmonella, or other bacteria that can make you very sick.

This is true whether the raw chicken is from your grocery store or from a backyard bird.

You should never eat any raw food, such as meat, eggs, seafood, and unpasteurized milk products.

Raw fish (sushi), for example, may contain parasites that could make you ill. It’s important to know what foods are safe to eat when preparing them yourself or in a restaurant.

Read more interesting topics about meat:

• Can You Eat Wolf Meat: All You Should Know?
• 10 Most Unhealthy Meat & 5 Most Healthy Meat.
• How Much Red Meat is Healthy: What You Should Know.

References:

• Healthline
• WebMd
• CDC