Officials disagree on whether holiday cooking is the biggest risk for food-borne illnesses, but do agree these illnesses need to be prevented.

Food-borne illnesses leave an estimated 76 million Americans sick, 325,000 hospitalized and 5,000 die from food-borne illnesses each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Thanksgiving is the No. 1 food-borne illness day in the nation,” said Karen Grush, public health administrator of the DeKalb County Health Department.

However, a spokesman from the Food and Drug Administration said most food-borne diseases don’t occur during the holidays. The illnesses most often occur in the summer, but the FDA still warns people to be cautious during the holiday season because certain foods and food practices can increase the risk of food-borne illness.

“There’s lots of cooking going on during the holiday season,” Grush said.

During the holidays, the top foods being cooked are turkey and chicken, she said. Those foods are most likely to cause illness, if not prepared properly.

Some foods may even be the cause of more serious illnesses such as salmonella, which is generally associated with meats.

“Turkeys and chickens carry bacteria which can cause serious illness. The best way to avoid food poisoning is to properly prepare, cook, serve and reheat poultry,” said Bob Drake, director of Environmental Health at the county health department.

There are also several symptoms that are associated with food-borne illnesses that may pose as a problem.

Vomiting, fever and stomachaches are only a few of the problems associated with food-borne illnesses, Grush said. “Many of the diseases can last anywhere from 24 hours to several days,” she said.

Many people during the holiday season don’t prepare their own food. There’s really not much someone can do to protect themselves from food-borne illnesses if they have not prepared the food themselves, she said.

There may be warning signs for food that may not have been prepared properly. “If the turkey or meat looks pink, that is a key factor the food has not been prepared properly and you should definitely not eat it,” Grush said.

Some people may even have an increased risk of contracting a food-borne illness.

According to the FDA Web site, people at the highest risk of being affected by food-borne illness — the elderly, children and individuals with weakened immune systems, including pregnant women – should be mindful of the potential risks.