After relatives recoiled — one guest said, "I’m about to throw up," and another: "It’s a little hard to accept someone who eats raw meat at the dinner table" — nurse practitioner Vanessa Cabrera tested Marshall. A stool sample revealed a chronic E. coli infection in her colon. Cabrera warned the long-term bacteria may have built resistance to many antibiotics, raising serious treatment concerns. The story also notes general risks of eating raw meat: bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, campylobacter and parasites like trichinella.
Faced with the diagnosis, Marshall pledged to be more cautious: she won’t quit raw meat entirely but says she'll only eat grass-fed cuts from trusted sources and will avoid ground meat to protect her health and family.