About Salmonella

Salmonella is an illness which puts its victims out of commission for several days. While the victim can generally recover on his own, there may be instances when he needs medical intervention to recover. Salmonella is considered to be a form of food poisoning since the germ infects food products.

Definition

• Salmonella is a bacterial infection caused by a group of bacteria passed from the feces of animals or people to other people or animals. The salmonella bacteria lives in the intestinal tracts of both animals and humans. It is transmitted when foods have been contaminated with animal feces. Approximately 40,000 people develop this infection each year just in the U.S. This number may be as much as 30 times too low since not every person who comes down with salmonella poisoning has reported it to their doctor.

Food Poisoning

• Salmonella has been associated with eggs which have been contaminated with Salmonella enteriditis. The eggs have either come into contact externally with contaminated fecal matter (the contamination is on the egg shell and is transmitted in this way. Another form of contamination is interior infection when the enteriditis bug infects the ovaries of the hen, who appears to be healthy. This infection takes place before the eggs have been formed and laid.

Symptoms

• The person who gets sick with salmonella develops stomach cramps, fever and diarrhea approximately 12 to 72 hours after eating food infected with the bacteria. The course of this illness runs for four to seven days, with most recovering with no bacterial treatment. However, if she develops diarrhea severe enough, she may need to be hospitalized in order to treat the illness and resulting dehydration. For the person in a special-risk group (elderly, infant or immune system suppression), this illness can be more severe. If this happens, the bacteria can spread from the intestines to the blood stream and other organs. If she does not receive immediate antibiotic treatment, she could die.

Treatment

• If the patient takes in sufficient oral fluids to replace those lost through diarrhea, his symptoms should resolve within five to seven days. If the patient's diarrhea is so severe he needs rehydration, his doctor may also order antibiotics such as ampicillin, ciprofloxacin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to kill the bacteria. These medications should be taken for 10 to 14 days and those whose immune systems are suppressed by chemotherapy or HIV/AIDS should take antibiotics. Salmonella carriers can be cured by having their gallbladders removed (salmonella bacteria lodge in the gallbladder) and antibiotic therapy.

Prevention

• Eggs should be refrigerated in the store and at home. Dirty and cracked eggs should be thrown away. When someone is cooking, she should wash her hands and cooking implements with soap and hot water before cooking and after cooking eggs. Eggs and foods cooked with eggs should be eaten right away while they are still hot. Raw eggs (eggnog or homemade ice cream) should be avoided. Ice cream and eggnog which has been commercially produced has been made using pasteurized eggs and these are considered safe. Food cross-contamination should be avoided. Keep uncooked meats separate from cooked foods and produce. Cooking utensils should be washed in hot soapy water. Those working with animals should wash their hands after handling the feces.