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Disease Spotlight: Pertussis - Whooping
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Pertussis - Whooping Cough Page |
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Disease Spotlight:
Salmonella |
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CDC Salmonella Page
Salmonella Fact Sheet |
What is salmonella? Salmonella
bacteria cause much of the food
poisoning in the world, including an
estimated 1,400,000 cases of
salmonellosis in the United States each
year. In Illinois about 1,500 to 2,000
cases of this foodborne illness are
reported each year. Salmonella is a
general name for a group of about 2,000
closely related bacteria that cause
illness by reproducing in the digestive
tract.
How is it spread?
Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts
of humans and other animals, including
birds. Humans are usually infected by
eating foods contaminated with animal
feces. Contaminated foods are often of
animal origin, such as beef, poultry,
milk or eggs, but any food, including
fruits and vegetables, may become
contaminated. Contaminated foods usually
look and smell normal and the
contamination should not be expected to
be visible.
Person-to-person transmission of
salmonella occurs when an infected
person's feces, unwashed from his or her
hands, contaminates food during
preparation or comes into direct contact
with another person. Salmonella can also
be acquired directly from animals such
as pets, birds, fish, dogs, cats and
turtles. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration banned the sale of
turtles smaller than 4 inches wide in
1975 to prevent the spread of
salmonella.
Since early 1950, farmers have
administered low doses of penicillin and
tetracycline to cows, chickens and pigs
to prevent infection and promote growth.
As a result, the bacteria in these
animals develop a resistance to the
drugs. When these drugs are used to
treat infections in humans who have
eaten meat from treated animals, the
drugs are not as effective as they might
be. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention estimates that between 20
percent and 30 percent of all salmonella
cases involve bacteria resistant to
antibiotics.
What are the
symptoms? Symptoms may include
headache, muscle aches, diarrhea,
vomiting, abdominal cramping, chills,
fever, nausea and dehydration. Symptoms
usually appear six to 72 hours after
ingestion of the bacteria, but can be
longer if fewer organisms are ingested.
Persons can be infected with the
bacteria without having symptoms.
Persons with and without symptoms shed
the bacteria in their stool, which is
why proper handwashing after toileting
and before handling food is so
important. Children younger than 1 year
old, people who have had ulcer surgery
or take antacids and those with weakened
immune systems are most susceptible to
salmonella infection.
Salmonellosis is seldom fatal (the
fatality rate is less than 1 percent).
Two or three weeks after being infected
with salmonella, one in 10,000 cases
develops reactive arthritis or Reiter's
syndrome as a complication. These
patients also may develop an
inflammation of the urethra and eyes.
How is
salmonellosis treated? Fluids are
recommended to prevent dehydration
because the diarrhea that flushes
bacteria out of the body drains a great
deal of liquid. Pain relievers and fever
reducers may make the person more
comfortable. Most cases of salmonellosis
are not treated with antibiotics. In
fact, antibiotics may prolong the period
during which the person can infect
others. Antibiotics sometimes are
prescribed for infants, the chronically
ill and the elderly to treat or prevent
complications in those at increased risk
for invasive disease.
Can salmonellosis
be prevented? People are far more
likely to contract salmonellosis at home
than in a restaurant, so be sure to wash
hands with soap and water after
toileting and before handling foods.
Salmonella bacteria are killed when food
is thoroughly cooked. This means cooking
ground beef to at least 155 degrees and
making sure all food is cooked properly.
Once cooked, any food held in a buffet
should be kept hotter than 140 degrees.
Cross-contamination –where food is
contaminated in the kitchen after it has
been cooked – may be avoided by using
different utensils, plates, cutting
boards and counter tops before and after
cooking. Cooked food that stands at room
temperature for a long time, especially
poultry, is at risk.
Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator
or microwave. Refrigerator temperatures
should be kept colder than 40 degrees.
Rinse poultry in cold water before
cooking. Avoid raw milk, raw hamburger
meat and raw eggs (many recipes, such as
those for homemade ice cream, call for
eggs with no subsequent cooking;
substitute pasteurized eggs in these
recipes). Food contaminated with
salmonella may look, smell and taste
normal. Because fruits and vegetables
have now been identified as a source of
salmonella, it is important that these
food items be thoroughly washed in
running water before they are eaten.
Wash utensils and wooden cutting boards
thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
Salmonella may lie dormant for a year or
more and then "wake up" when food is
present. They also may live in the cut
marks on a wooden cutting board. Use an
acrylic board that can go in the
dishwasher. If using a wooden board, rub
down or spray the board with a solution
of one ounce bleach to one gallon water
and allow to air dry. Cutting boards for
raw meat and poultry should not be used
for cheese, raw vegetables and other
foods that will not be cooked before
being served.
To prevent the spread of salmonella,
wash hands thoroughly after using the
bathroom and before handling food. Do
not allow an infected person to handle
food or work in the kitchen. |
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