Hmmm... I never suffered through it. Sure you shouldn't eat the fresh version you get at a butcher store in middle of a summer heatwave (although even then nothing should happen), but it's essentially spiced, minced, raw meat mixed with onions and then usually spread ontop of bread. The problem is you can't get it outside of germany, so i had to take a few canned portions with me to hungary^^
The french don't eat their steak entirely raw, they actually prepare it bloody, so it did come into contact with excessive heat at some point in time, killing many bacteria. It's tasty too, btw, although my favorite steaks are medium.