Study: Poor Hand Washing Bigger E. Coli Threat Than Contaminated Meat

BOSTON (CBS) - A new study in The Lancet finds that poor hand washing poses a bigger threat than under-cooked meat when it comes to the spread of the potentially deadly bacteria E. coli.

E. coli is a bacterium that normally lives in our gut. Some strains are completely harmless. Others can cause serious infections, like those of the bladder and the bloodstream. And the germs are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

After looking at tens of thousands of samples, researchers found humans are much more likely to get sick from E. coli strains passed from person-to-person rather than from contaminated meat.

They're urging people to wash hands well after going to the bathroom. That said, you should still handle raw meats and chicken carefully because they can still be contaminated with other bacteria which can cause food poisoning, like salmonella.