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It refers to a group of bacteria that cause Salmonella infection or salmonellosis in the intestinal tract.
Typhoid, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, enteric fever, and other diseases are all types of Salmonella infection.
Salmonella poisoning is often related to water or contaminated food, especially meat, poultry, and eggs. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, which appear 12 to 72 hours after infection.
Most people recover after 4 to 7 days without treatment, but a person with severe diarrhea may need treatment in the hospital.
In addition to food and water, transmission has been linked to pet reptiles. From March to August 2017, an outbreak of Salmonella in several states affected at least 33 people in 13 states, of which 16 were hospitalized and 12 under five years. The outbreak was related to contact with pet turtles.
Fast facts about Salmonella
These are some critical points about Salmonella.
Salmonella poisoning affects about 1.4 million Americans each year and is responsible for almost half of bacterial infections in the United States.
The infection spreads mainly through water and contaminated food.
Symptoms usually include chills, diarrhea, and fever.
The disease usually goes away independently, but severe cases may need hospital treatment.
Prevention tips include washing hands regularly, ensuring all foods are well cooked and stored with care, and not keeping pet reptiles at home.
Salmonella causes a variety of diseases, including gastroenteritis. Salmonella is rod-shaped gram-negative bacilli that can cause salmonellosis, a human diarrheal disease.
Gram-negative bacteria generally have a cell wall composed of a thin layer of peptidoglycan covered by a membrane.
There are more than 2,300 subtypes of Salmonella enteric bacteria, including serovarietological enteritis, Salmonella Agbeni, and Typhimurium.
The bacteria live in the intestine of infected humans and animals. Some animal and human strains can make humans sick.
Salmonella is a significant cause of human bacterial infections in the United States (USA). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it affects about 1 million Americans annually, leading to 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths.
symptom
There are thousands of subtypes of Salmonella bacteria, but only about 12 make people sick, usually with gastroenteritis.
Signs and symptoms of salmonella-induced gastroenteritis include:
- Cramps in the stomach
- Stools with blood.
- Cold.
- Diarrhea.
- Fever.
- Headache.
- Muscle pains.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting
- Dizziness.
Some people experience joint pain, known as reactive arthritis. It can last for months or years and can develop into chronic arthritis.
Causes
Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of birds, animals, and humans. Most human infections occur when you eat food or drink water contaminated with feces.
The most commonly infected foods are:
Uncooked meat, seafood, and poultry: contamination occurs most commonly during slaughter. The collection of shellfish in contaminated waters is a common cause.
Uncooked eggs: the eggs of an infected chicken may contain bacteria—to the US Food and Drug Administration. UU (FDA for its acronym in English) estimates that every year, there are 79,000 cases of foodborne illness in the US. UU
Due to the consumption of eggs containing Salmonella. Raw eggs are found in some types of mayonnaise and homemade sauces.
Fruits and vegetables: These can be contaminated if irrigated or washed in contaminated water. Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated if someone handles raw meat and touches the fruit without washing their hands.
Other causes include:
Lack of hygiene: common causes of contamination and infection include kitchen surfaces that are not kept clean and not washing hands during food preparation, after using the bathroom, or after changing baby’s diapers.
A person with contaminated hands can transmit the infection to others by touching them or touching surfaces others touch.
Keep reptiles or amphibians as pets: most reptiles and amphibians carry Salmonella in the intestine without getting sick.
They spill the bacteria in their droppings. These can spread quickly over your skin and anything they come in contact with, including cages, toys, clothes, furniture, and household surfaces.
Pet reptiles should not stay indoors if children under five years old, pregnant women, older adults, or people with weakened immune systems in the home.
Since 1975, the FDA has banned the sale and distribution of tiny turtles due to the risk of Salmonella infection.
Risk factor’s
The most significant risk is children, the elderly, and those with a weakened immune system due, for example, to HIV or AIDS, cancer or cancer treatment, and some other conditions.
Young children should not be allowed to handle reptiles, chicks, or young birds. Breastfeeding is the safest type of nutrition for tiny babies.
During pregnancy, complications include dehydration and bacteremia, or bacteria in the blood. This can lead to meningitis. Salmonella can also pass to the fetus. The baby may have diarrhea and fever after birth and risk developing meningitis.
Salmonella infection is more common in summer than in winter.
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about symptoms, any other existing conditions, changes in diet or food preparation habits, contact with pets, and travel destinations to discover the cause of the problem.
Diarrhea and vomiting are usually a clear indication of gastroenteritis.
Blood and stool tests can help determine the cause of the infection.
Treatment
The symptoms of Salmonella-induced gastroenteritis usually disappear without treatment after about a week.
Liquid: The patient needs to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Antibiotics: these may not help in uncomplicated gastroenteritis. The doctor can prescribe them if the symptoms are severe, if the bacteria have entered, or could enter the bloodstream. The use of antibiotics can cause resistance to antibiotics and the risk of the infection returning.
Antimotility drugs: these can stop diarrhea. They reduce cramps, but they can cause diarrhea to last longer.
Prevention
Good hygiene is key to preventing infection by Salmonella.
Tips for washing hands:
Hand washing is essential to prevent the spread of disease.
Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap or with hand sanitizer. This is especially important:
- Before preparing to eat food.
- After using the bathroom.
- After changing a baby’s diapers.
- After touching pets and other animals.
- After gardening.
Advice for food handling:
When it comes to food:
- Keep cooked and raw foods separate.
- Store raw foods in a refrigerator on the shelves below ready-to-eat foods.
- Wash raw fruits and vegetables well before eating.
- Cook food, especially meats and eggs.
- Keep all kitchen utensils, and work surfaces clean.
- Replace the cleaning and drying cloth regularly.
Salmonella can live for a time in different types of food. In 2015, researchers found that bacteria can live on sandwich cookies and cookies for at least six months.
Egg security:
When buying eggs, consumers should ensure that they come from a supplier that keeps them refrigerated and stores them at a maximum of 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). Any cracked or dirty egg should be discarded.
The FDA requires that all egg boxes that have not been treated for Salmonella by pasteurization carry this warning:
” Safe handling instructions to prevent diseases caused by bacteria: keep the eggs refrigerated, cook until the yolks are firm, and cook the foods that contain eggs completely.”
The FDA offers detailed advice on storing eggs, how long to keep them, etc.
Pets:
Do not leave reptiles or amphibians inside the house if there are older adults, pregnant women, very young children, or people with weakened immune systems in the home.
What to do if someone has salmonella poisoning
If someone in the household becomes infected with Salmonella:
Wash all dirty clothes, bedding, and towels in the washing machine at the highest possible temperature; completely clean the toilet seats, toilets, all handles in the bathroom, sinks, and faucets after use, with a detergent and water hot, followed by a household disinfectant.