1. SALMONELLOSIS Sharonda D. Murphy, MPH Student Walden University
Dr. Rebecca Heick
Winter Quarter, 2010

2. What is salmonellosis? An infection with a bacteria called Salmonella.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
Elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are at high risk for severe infections.
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

3. Diagnosis of Salmonella
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from
Diagnosis of Salmonella

4. Treatment of Salmonella
Less severe illness resolves in 5-7 days and cures itself without the use of antibiotics.
Severe diarrhea and vomiting may require rehydration with water and electrolytes.
Antibiotic therapy is also used for immunocompromised persons and individuals who are hospitalized (Zvizdic, S. & Hamzic, S., et al., 2009).
References
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from
Zvizdic, S., Hamzic, S., Avdic-Kamberovic, F., Rodinis-Pejic., I., et al. (2009). Clinical features of acute gastroenteritis in children of salmonellosis etiology. HealthMED, 3(4),

5. Resistant Salmonella Bacteria
Some salmonella bacteria are resistant to antibiotics (CDC, 2010).
When strains of the bacteria become resistant it has limited effectiveness when treating patients.
Illness can be more severe if infected with resistant salmonella versus drug-susceptible strains (Adhikari, B., & Besser, T., et al., 2009).
Use of antibiotics to promote the growth of food animals is the cause of drug resistant salmonella.
References
Adhikari, B., Besser, T., Gay, J., Fox, L., Davis, M., Cobbold, R., et al. (2009). Introduction of new multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica strains into commercial dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 92(9), doi: /jds
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from
Adhikari, B., Besser, T. E., Gay, J. M., et al. (2009). Introduction of new multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica strains into commercial dairy herds. J. Dairy Sci. 92:

6. Long Term Consequences
After recovery from diarrhea there may still be irregular bowel habits before things are back to normal (CDC, 2010).
Reiter’s syndrome can be a long term complication of salmonella illness (CDC, 2010).
Chronic arthritis can develop due to Reiter’s syndrome (CDC, 2010).
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

7. How Do You Catch Salmonella?
Contaminated food
Contaminated water
Not washing your hands
Pets, such as reptiles (lizards, turtles, snakes) and even birds
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

8. How to Prevent Illness
There is no vaccine for salmonella. Thoroughly cooking foods can prevent the illness as well as washing your hands after using the bathroom, handling pets, and raw meat and poultry (CDC, 2010).
The introduction of pasteurization reduced the incidence of milk-borne disease “from 25% of all food outbreaks in 1938 to less than 1% at the beginning of the 21st century” (Barry, 2009).
References
Barry, M. (2009). Unpasteurized milk: A continuing public health threat. (Cover story). Travel Medicine Advisor, 19(4), Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

9. How to Prevent Illness Continued
Meyer, et al., (2008) conducted a study on the salmonella outbreak due to the consumption of Banquet pot pies.
It was found that cross contamination of raw pastry crust and the meat fillings were the cause of illness.
It was believed that inadequate microwave cooking was partly responsible for the outbreak as well.
Reference
Meyer, S., Smith, K., Assam, I., Sowadsky, R., Williams, I., Henao, O., et al. (2008). Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Associated with Frozen Pot Pies—United States, MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 57(47), Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

10. How Common is Salmonellosis?
“Each year approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States” (CDC, 2010).
Salmonella infections are more common in the summer than in the winter.
Children, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are more likely to suffer from severe cases of illness.
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

11. What Else Can Be Done to Prevent Salmonellosis?
New methods for food safety are underway. “Researchers at ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, have filed a patent on technology that can further protect pasteurized liquid eggs from food safety threats” (Agricultural Research, 2009). The new technology may help reduce the number of cases of salmonella illness reported each year (Agricultural Research, 2009).
Reference
(2009). New methods for ensuring food safety. Agricultural Research, 57(5), Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

12. What Else Can Be Done to Prevent Salmonellosis Continued
According to the CDC (2010), washing your hands, cooking poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly would aid in the prevention of salmonella.
Do not eat or drink foods containing raw eggs or milk (CDC, 2010).
Wash kitchen work surfaces and utensils with soap and water immediately after being in contact with raw meat or poultry (CDC, 2010).
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

13. Challenges
Challenges of salmonellosis is determining the source of salmonella infections in infants (CDC, 2010).
Preventing contamination of vegetables with manure from concentrated animal feeding operations (CDC, 2010).
Developing effective education materials and methods to prevent reptile-associated salmonellosis (CDC, 2010).
Changes in the egg industry and education of food service workers and consumers (CDC, 2010).
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

14. Conclusion
In conclusion, salmonellosis is a preventable infection if proper precautions are followed. Hand washing, properly cooking foods, and drinking pasteurized milk are all great ways to ensure that the bacteria is not spread. While there is no vaccine for salmonellosis following the advice given by the CDC, FDA, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency will help in preventing infection.

15. To Learn More Information About Salmonellosis
Discuss medical concerns with your doctor or health care provider.
Visit your local city or county health department.
Visit the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) website at
You can also visit The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) at
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from

16. References
Adhikari, B., Besser, T., Gay, J., Fox, L., Davis, M., Cobbold, R., et al. (2009). Introduction of new multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica strains into commercial dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 92(9), doi: /jds Barry, M. (2009). Unpasteurized milk: A continuing public health threat. (Cover Story) Travel Medicine Advisor, 19(4), Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Salmonellosis. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from Meyer, S., Smith, K., Assam, I., Sowadsky, R., Williams, I., Henao, O., et al. (2008). Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Associated with Frozen Pot Pies—United States, MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 57(47), Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. (2009). New methods for ensuring food safety. Agricultural Research, 57(5), Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Zvizdic, S., Hamzic, S., Avdic-Kamberovic, F., Rodinis-Pejic., I., et al. (2009). Clinical features of acute gastroenteritis in children of salmonellosis etiology. HealthMED, 3(4),