-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dan Kruse started to feel weak one day while hanging out with his friends in a park . The next day , the eighth-grader woke up completely jaundiced -- the whites of his eyes were yellow -- and he urinated blood . Dan Kruse , now 23 , had food poisoning from E. coli bacteria as a teenager . Deeply concerned , his mother took him to the doctor , who told him to go to the hospital immediately . Doctors determined he had a severe form of food poisoning that made his kidneys shut down in a condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome , caused by the bacteria E. coli . A priest gave him last rites , and doctors said he would most likely spend the rest of his life on kidney dialysis . `` I did n't go to the bathroom at all for seven to nine days because of my kidneys shutting down , '' said Kruse , now a Web developer in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . `` I definitely almost died . '' But with the help of an experimental treatment involving medicine `` like a fine grain sand '' that he ate six times a day , Kruse began to improve , and made a full recovery without dialysis . Food poisoning from strains of E. coli is less common in the United States than salmonella , a bacteria that has caused more than 1,000 infections in a recent outbreak since April , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Tomatoes have been implicated in this outbreak , but many other foods , such as raw meat and poultry , can spread salmonella and other kinds of bacteria . Food borne illnesses result in more than 300,000 hospitalizations in the United States every year , according to the CDC . About 76 million cases of food borne disease occur annually in the United States , the CDC said . Salmonella and E. coli present themselves in such similar ways that doctors ca n't tell which is which without testing a stool sample . Learn more about the differences between salmonella and E. coli '' Both kinds of bacteria can lead to infections involving diarrhea , vomiting , abdominal cramps and sometimes a low-grade fever . In most cases , an infected person will recover within a week without medicine simply by staying hydrated , doctors said . People who experience voluminous , bloody and persistent diarrhea should seek medical attention , and may need antibiotics , said Dr. Jennifer Christie , gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at Emory University . When should you go to the hospital ? When you 're not able to tolerate fluids , vomiting so much that you ca n't keep anything down , or have profuse watery diarrhea , said Dr. Iris Reyes , associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pennsylvania . A racing heart along with diarrhea and vomiting indicates dehydration , she said . People with compounding medical problems such as cardiac conditions or diabetes should also seek medical attention , doctors said . In some cases , especially among small children , the elderly , and people with compromised immune systems , the infection may become more severe and lead to long-term complications . Salmonella can lead to a condition called Reiter 's syndrome that involves joint pain , eye irritation and painful urination . Chronic arthritis may result , regardless of whether a person takes antibiotics . A common strand of E. coli , often called E. coli 0157 , can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome , which makes bacterial toxins go into the bloodstream and destroy red blood cells . This can result in kidney failure as a result of damaged cells clogging tiny blood vessels , according to MayoClinic.com . That strain of E. coli is distinct from enterotoxigenic E. coli , which causes traveler 's diarrhea . People traveling to developing countries of Latin America , Africa , the Middle East , and Asia are at particular risk for traveler 's diarrhea , but it usually resolves in a few days and is rarely life-threatening . Symptoms of food borne bacterial infections are also similar to those of some viruses , though bloody diarrhea is sometimes a telltale sign of bacteria . To prevent these infections , medical professionals emphasize the importance of washing your hands after handling raw meat , poultry , and uncooked eggs . You should also wash your hands after using the bathroom , touching pets or coming into contact with a person who has a bacterial infection . Read more tips about food safety '' While it is always a good idea to wash produce , a rinse does n't always get rid of bacteria . In fact , you would have to scrub a vegetable for several minutes with antibacterial soap to kill the invisible offenders , Reyes said . `` In the operating room , surgeons scrub for at least several minutes to make sure there 's no bacteria on their skin , '' she said . Food is the same way -- it would take a long time to actually make sure that no bacteria remains . The best solution is to just stay away from any foods , like tomatoes , that have been reported to be contaminated . You may be tempted to eat that piece of salami of indeterminate age sitting in your refrigerator . But if you do take a bite and it just does n't taste right , Reyes has some advice for you : Stop eating . This may sound like a no-brainer , but Reyes said it 's not unusual for people to contract food borne illnesses this way . `` Make sure your food looks good and tastes good before you eat it , '' she said . Cooking at high temperatures also kills bacteria , but people do not typically cook tomatoes and other produce , Reyes said . Avoid anything containing raw eggs , such as Hollandaise sauce , Caesar salad dressing , and undercooked French toast , Christie said . Food that has been sitting out for hours at picnics or buffets may also be contaminated , Reyes said . Hot food should typically be eaten hot , and meat should never cool below 140 F before reheating . Below 140 F , bacteria thrive and multiply , regardless of the time that the food has been sitting out . Similarly , cold foods like shrimp cocktail will go bad if allowed to warm . `` You want to avoid a situation when your bacteria find your food just as appealing as you do , '' she said . Kruse said he avoids alfalfa sprouts , which have been associated with E. coli outbreaks , but still eats meat . `` I love meat , I 'm a meat eater . It was a fluke , '' he said . `` The doctors told me that the body will fight it off better '' since he had the infection as a teenager .