What is salmonellosis?
Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Most persons
infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to
72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most
persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea
may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients,
the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream,
and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is
treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired
immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
How can Salmonella infections be diagnosed?
Many different kinds of illnesses can cause diarrhea, fever, or abdominal
cramps. Determining that Salmonella is the cause of the illness depends on
laboratory tests that identify Salmonella in the stool of an infected person.
Are there long term consequences to a Salmonella infection?
Persons with diarrhea usually recover completely, although it may be several
months before their bowel habits are entirely normal. A small number of
persons with Salmonella develop pain in their joints, irritation of the eyes, and
painful urination. This is called Reiter's syndrome. It can last for months or
years, and can lead to chronic arthritis which is difficult to treat. Antibiotic
treatment does not make a difference in whether or not the person develops
arthritis.
How do people catch Salmonella?
Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including
birds. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods
contaminated with animal feces. Contaminated foods usually look and smell
normal. Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such as beef, poultry,
milk, or eggs, but any food, including vegetables, may become contaminated.
Thorough cooking kills Salmonella. Food may also become contaminated by
the hands of an infected food handler who did not wash hands with soap after
using the bathroom.
Salmonella may also be found in the feces of some pets, especially those with
diarrhea, and people can become infected if they do not wash their hands
after contact with pets or pet feces. Reptiles, such as turtles, lizards, and
snakes, are particularly likely to harbor Salmonella. Many chicks and young
birds carry Salmonella in their feces. People should always wash their hands
immediately after handling a reptile or bird, even if the animal is healthy.
Adults should also assure that children wash their hands after handling a
reptile or bird, or after touching its environment.
What can a person do to prevent this illness?
There is no vaccine to prevent salmonellosis. Because foods of animal origin
may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or
undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Raw eggs may be unrecognized in some
foods, such as homemade Hollandaise sauce, Caesar and other homemade
salad dressings, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, homemade mayonnaise,
cookie dough, and frostings. Poultry and meat, including hamburgers, should
be well-cooked, not pink in the middle. Persons also should not consume raw
or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly
washed.
Cross-contamination of foods should be avoided. Uncooked meats should be
kept separate from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods. Hands,
cutting boards, counters, knives, and other utensils should be washed
thoroughly after touching uncooked foods. Hand should be washed before
handling food, and between handling different food items.
People who have salmonellosis should not prepare food or pour water for
others until their diarrhea has resolved. Many health departments require that
restaurant workers with Salmonella infection have a stool test showing that
they are no longer carrying the Salmonella bacterium before they return to
work.
People should wash their hands after contact with animal feces. Because
reptiles are particularly likely to have Salmonella, and it can contaminate their
skin, everyone should immediately wash their hands after handling reptiles.
Reptiles (including turtles) are not appropriate pets for small children and
should not be in the same house as an infant. Salmonella carried in the
intestines of chicks and ducklings contaminates their environment and the
entire surface of the animal. Children can be exposed to the bacteria by
simply holding, cuddling, or kissing the birds. Children should not handle baby
chicks or other young birds. Everyone should immediately wash their hands
after touching birds, including baby chicks and ducklings, or their environment.
How common is salmonellosis?
Every year, approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the
United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the
actual number of infections may be thirty or more times greater. Salmonellosis
is more common in the summer than winter.
Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis. The rate of diagnosed
infections in children less than five years old is about five times higher than
the rate in all other persons. Young children, the elderly, and the
immunocompromised are the most likely to have severe infections. It is
estimated that approximately 400 persons die each year with acute
salmonellosis.
What else can be done to prevent salmonellosis?
It is important for the public health department to know about cases of
salmonellosis. It is important for clinical laboratories to send isolates of
Salmonella to the City, County, or State Public Health Laboratories so the
specific type can be determined and compared with other Salmonella in the
community. If many cases occur at the same time, it may mean that a
restaurant, food or water supply has a problem that needs correction by the
public health department.
Some prevention steps occur everyday without you thinking about it.
Pasteurization of milk and treatment of municipal water supplies are highly
effective prevention measures that have been in place for decades. In the
1970s, small pet turtles were a common source of salmonellosis in the United
States, so in 1975, the sale of small turtles was banned in this country.
However, in 2008, they were still being sold, and cases of Salmonella
associated with pet turtles have been reported. Improvements in farm animal
hygiene, in slaughter plant practices, and in vegetable and fruit harvesting
and packing operations may help prevent salmonellosis caused by
contaminated foods. Better education of food industry workers in basic food
safety and restaurant inspection procedures may prevent cross-contamination
and other food handling errors that can lead to outbreaks. Wider use of
pasteurized egg in restaurants, hospitals, and nursing homes is an important
prevention measure. In the future, irradiation or other treatments may greatly
reduce contamination of raw meat.
SOURCE CDC.GOV MARCH 2009
Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Most persons
infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to
72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most
persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea
may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients,
the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream,
and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is
treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired
immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
How can Salmonella infections be diagnosed?
Many different kinds of illnesses can cause diarrhea, fever, or abdominal
cramps. Determining that Salmonella is the cause of the illness depends on
laboratory tests that identify Salmonella in the stool of an infected person.
Are there long term consequences to a Salmonella infection?
Persons with diarrhea usually recover completely, although it may be several
months before their bowel habits are entirely normal. A small number of
persons with Salmonella develop pain in their joints, irritation of the eyes, and
painful urination. This is called Reiter's syndrome. It can last for months or
years, and can lead to chronic arthritis which is difficult to treat. Antibiotic
treatment does not make a difference in whether or not the person develops
arthritis.
How do people catch Salmonella?
Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including
birds. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods
contaminated with animal feces. Contaminated foods usually look and smell
normal. Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such as beef, poultry,
milk, or eggs, but any food, including vegetables, may become contaminated.
Thorough cooking kills Salmonella. Food may also become contaminated by
the hands of an infected food handler who did not wash hands with soap after
using the bathroom.
Salmonella may also be found in the feces of some pets, especially those with
diarrhea, and people can become infected if they do not wash their hands
after contact with pets or pet feces. Reptiles, such as turtles, lizards, and
snakes, are particularly likely to harbor Salmonella. Many chicks and young
birds carry Salmonella in their feces. People should always wash their hands
immediately after handling a reptile or bird, even if the animal is healthy.
Adults should also assure that children wash their hands after handling a
reptile or bird, or after touching its environment.
What can a person do to prevent this illness?
There is no vaccine to prevent salmonellosis. Because foods of animal origin
may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or
undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Raw eggs may be unrecognized in some
foods, such as homemade Hollandaise sauce, Caesar and other homemade
salad dressings, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, homemade mayonnaise,
cookie dough, and frostings. Poultry and meat, including hamburgers, should
be well-cooked, not pink in the middle. Persons also should not consume raw
or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly
washed.
Cross-contamination of foods should be avoided. Uncooked meats should be
kept separate from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods. Hands,
cutting boards, counters, knives, and other utensils should be washed
thoroughly after touching uncooked foods. Hand should be washed before
handling food, and between handling different food items.
People who have salmonellosis should not prepare food or pour water for
others until their diarrhea has resolved. Many health departments require that
restaurant workers with Salmonella infection have a stool test showing that
they are no longer carrying the Salmonella bacterium before they return to
work.
People should wash their hands after contact with animal feces. Because
reptiles are particularly likely to have Salmonella, and it can contaminate their
skin, everyone should immediately wash their hands after handling reptiles.
Reptiles (including turtles) are not appropriate pets for small children and
should not be in the same house as an infant. Salmonella carried in the
intestines of chicks and ducklings contaminates their environment and the
entire surface of the animal. Children can be exposed to the bacteria by
simply holding, cuddling, or kissing the birds. Children should not handle baby
chicks or other young birds. Everyone should immediately wash their hands
after touching birds, including baby chicks and ducklings, or their environment.
How common is salmonellosis?
Every year, approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the
United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the
actual number of infections may be thirty or more times greater. Salmonellosis
is more common in the summer than winter.
Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis. The rate of diagnosed
infections in children less than five years old is about five times higher than
the rate in all other persons. Young children, the elderly, and the
immunocompromised are the most likely to have severe infections. It is
estimated that approximately 400 persons die each year with acute
salmonellosis.
What else can be done to prevent salmonellosis?
It is important for the public health department to know about cases of
salmonellosis. It is important for clinical laboratories to send isolates of
Salmonella to the City, County, or State Public Health Laboratories so the
specific type can be determined and compared with other Salmonella in the
community. If many cases occur at the same time, it may mean that a
restaurant, food or water supply has a problem that needs correction by the
public health department.
Some prevention steps occur everyday without you thinking about it.
Pasteurization of milk and treatment of municipal water supplies are highly
effective prevention measures that have been in place for decades. In the
1970s, small pet turtles were a common source of salmonellosis in the United
States, so in 1975, the sale of small turtles was banned in this country.
However, in 2008, they were still being sold, and cases of Salmonella
associated with pet turtles have been reported. Improvements in farm animal
hygiene, in slaughter plant practices, and in vegetable and fruit harvesting
and packing operations may help prevent salmonellosis caused by
contaminated foods. Better education of food industry workers in basic food
safety and restaurant inspection procedures may prevent cross-contamination
and other food handling errors that can lead to outbreaks. Wider use of
pasteurized egg in restaurants, hospitals, and nursing homes is an important
prevention measure. In the future, irradiation or other treatments may greatly
reduce contamination of raw meat.
SOURCE CDC.GOV MARCH 2009
Salmonella infections
 |  |  |  |
| Salmonella is actually a group of bacteria that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are microscopic living creatures that pass from the feces of people or animals to other people or other animals. There are many different kinds of Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella serotype Enteritidis are the most common in the United States. Salmonella germs have been known to cause illness for over 100 years. They were discovered by an American scientist named Salmon, for whom they are named. |
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reference only, it is not a medical advice. All rights reserved. Do not copy this article to
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reference only, it is not a medical advice. All rights reserved. Do not copy this article to
other website or blog.
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