Ask the Doctors: Diligent handwashing, proper cooking and handling of food is required to help avoid E. coli infection

Washing your hands thorougly with plenty of soap and warm water — especially after using the rest room, changing a baby’s diaper or handling raw meats and poultry — is one way to help avoid E. coli infections. (stock.adobe.com)

Dear Doctors: It seems like there’s a new E. coli outbreak every week. We never worried because we’re careful about washing our produce, but our son-in-law got pretty sick with it after eating a fast-food hamburger. How dangerous is E. coli? Where does it come from? Is there any way to avoid it?

Dear reader:. E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. It’s a large and diverse group of bacteria that make their home in the lower intestines of humans and some animals.