Infectious_Disease

Foodborne Illness Short Answer (Salmonella) Aldonia Bailey SCI/162 7/21/2012 Alicia D. Akins • What is the infectious agent (pathogen) that causes this infectious disease' For example, the name of the bacteria, virus, or parasite. Salmonella is the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. Salmonella is a gram- negative, rod- shaped bacilli that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are microscopic living creatures that pass from feces of people or animals to other people or other animals. The Salmonella family includes over 2300 serotypes of bacteria which are one celled organisms. The two types of Salmonella that are most common in the US ar Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium these account for half of all human infections. The bacteria lives in the intestinal tracts of infected animals and humans. The name of the bacteria is Salmonellosis which is an infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella. • How is this infectious agent transmitted through food or water' Salmonella lives in the intestinal tract of humans and other animals, including birds. Salmonella is usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Salmonella that is present on raw meat and poultry could survive if the product is not cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature. Salmonella can also cause foodborne illness salmonellosis through cross contamination such as juices from raw meat or poultry that come into contact with ready to eat foods. • What is an example of a real life outbreak of this foodborne illness in the United States' The CDC stated there was a real life salmonella outbreak tied to ground turkey that infected 76 people and killed one. The reports of infection came from 26 states between march 1st and august 1st of this year. Through their investigation of the outbreak the CDC discovered that 25 of the persons reported ill consumed ground turkey recently leading them to believe the infection was spread through the meat. They also took cultures from four ground turkey samples purchased from four retail locations between March 7th and June 27th which yielded Salmonella with the outbreak strain. They traced three of the samples to the same product establishment with the fourth still under investigation. • What are the clinical symptoms, duration of the disease, and treatment if any' Salmonella symptoms usually begin about eight to forty-eight hours after ingestion of the bacteria. When a group of individuals have access to the same food or water source suddenly develop symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Salmonella treatment varies because some doctors recommend no antibiotics since the disease is self-limited while others suggest using antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin. Some medical investigators believe antibiotics prolong the carrier state. Medicines that slow down the diarrhea are usually not given because they may make the infection last longer. Treatment of salmonella goal is really about making you feel better and avoid dehydration. Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. The duration of the disease depends on the person it can be from 2 to 5 days or 1 to 2 weeks. • What steps can be taken to prevent further outbreaks' Include individual as well as environmental precautions and methods. Learning how to prevent food poisoning can reduce the risk of salmonella. Proper food handling and storage can help reduce the risk. Good hand washing when handling eggs, poultry, and other foods is important. If you own a reptile, wear gloves when handling the animal or its feces because salmonella can easily pass to humans. Or avoid direct or even indirect contact between reptiles and infants. Cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly. Do not eat or drink foods containing raw eggs, or raw unpasteurized milk. Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry. Also for infants breastfeeding prevents salmonellosis and many other health problems.