A new study estimates that nearly one in five urinary tract infections in Southern California may be caused by E. coli strains transmitted through contaminated meat—and pose a hidden foodborne risk to millions of people not just in California but across the US.
I think 1 is inaccurate – bacteria themselves (not just their excretions) can make you sick.
I think the idea is that the bacteria are supposed to be too cold to multiply and make their excretions by the time you cook the meat (and thus kill them off), so unless the meat is already spoiled, cooking alone would be fine.