> > Ground beef is not safe to eat raw - ever!
>
> i have been eating raw ground beef my whole life and i am 44 years old .
> on what is based this affirmation ?

Here we go again.

"Usual symptoms include diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps. Fever
is infrequent. Children, the elderly, and immune-compromised individuals are
at the highest risk for acute hemorrhagic colitis, and, occasionally, the
complication of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS, occurring in 2% to 5%
of cases, is characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, renal
failure, and a fatality rate of 3% to 5%."
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/fdacook.html

"Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an emerging cause of foodborne illness. An
estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States
each year. Infection often leads to bloody diarrhea, and occasionally to
kidney failure. Most illness has been associated with eating undercooked,
contaminated ground beef."
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_g.htm

"several studies have shown that infection with E. Coli 0157:147 is
responsible for most cases of Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome, which is a major
cause of renal failure in children. In addition, we now know E. Coli
0157:147 is a major cause of bloody and non-bloody diarrhea in children. In
the United States E. Coli 0157:147 is estimated to cause more than 20,000
infections and as many as 250 deaths per year..."
www.utoronto.ca/kids/hambrger.htm

"Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an emerging cause of foodborne illness. An
estimated 10,000 to 20,000 cases of infection occur in the United States
each year. Infection often leads to bloody diarrhea, and occasionally to
kidney failure. Most illness has been associated with eating undercooked,
contaminated ground beef."
www.factoryfarming.com/health_e_coli_info.htm

Rob