Salmonella 101

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  University of Texas at Tyler. Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Description:
  To be honest, I didn't know much about Salmonella until a few weeks ago. I have heard the word come up on the news and I have seen articles about the subject. However, I became all too familiar with the bacteria in late September when I fell ill with a Salmonella infection. I likely picked up the bacteria from eggs or vegetables at a local restaurant, but the investigation is still underway. I was surprised to learn that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates Salmonella causes 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations and 450 deaths in the United Stated each year. There have been eight Salmonella outbreaks documented by the CDC in 2019 so far. Five are linked to food and three are linked to animals. The outbreaks were associated with infected tuna, watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, fruit medleys, ground turkey, pig ear dog treats, backyard poultry and pet hedgehogs. Not only are consumers at risk for coming in contact with Salmonella, but also workers, particularly people that handle food products. Salmonella Facts: Salmonella typically occurs when a person eats food that is contaminated with human or animal feces that carries the bacteria. Meat, poultry and eggs have been commonly linked to Salmonella. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body. Salmonella illness can be serious and is more dangerous for some people. Children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness. Salmonella can spread from animals to people and from people to people. Salmonella illness is more common in the summer. Salmonella is more common than you think. Most cases are never reported. Salmonella Prevention: Wash your hands after contact with animals, using the bathroom, changing diapers or cleaning up diarrhea. If you have a Salmonella infection, do not prepare food for others until you no longer have diarrhea. Wash food preparation surfaces before and after using them. Clean dishcloths; do not reuse them. Keep raw meat away from foods that are ready to eat, like fruit, raw vegetables and bread. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within 2 hours or 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90 degrees. Don't put your hands in your mouth after touching animals. Don't kiss animals, even pets. Don't eat or drink around animals. Clean animals' cages, terrariums, aquariums, food containers and water bowls outside if possible. If you have to clean them inside, clean and disinfect the area thoroughly after you are finished. Make sure animals see a veterinarian regularly. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Farmers Food Handling Food Industry Health Promotion Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Animal-related Diseases Bacteria Bacterial Disease Farm Workers Food Handlers Health Promotion Safety Education
• Publisher:
  The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058175
• Citation:
  Monthly Safety Blast. Tyler, TX: The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education, 2019 Oct; :website
• Email:
  agcenter@uthct.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Monthly Safety Blast
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9b81afd454c40135acc93439890c6d7634fc3703642eef5331af21aac8a6bc5da2f1cca9f296c73f3d2c9810f2194ec20c59ab5d785dc7d12626a67e92ccdd6b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221312/cdc_221312_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 371.34 KB ]