Bulletin 116

Salmonella

 There are some 1,800 closely related strains of bacteria in the salmonella family, about 500 of which have been isolated in humans.  The bacteria are transmitted to people most often in food derived from animals (poultry, pork, beef, eggs and dairy products).  The animals get infected from contaminated feces, soil, and feed.  The bacteria live in the animals' intestines and are often passed on in their meat through slaughtering and processing.

 Many millions of Americans are infected with salmonella, although most of the cases are mild and many go unreported.  The symptoms are often mistakenly blamed on flu.  Most cases of salmonella result only in gastrointestinal distress from six to 72 hours after ingestion.

  Many are left with chronic crippling diseases such as arthritis.  Some cases of typhoid (most from abroad) were reported as a result of a particular salmonella strain.

  In the United States, turkey is the most common source of salmonella outbreaks, followed by beef and chicken.  Infected chicken has received the most publicity in recent years because of the growing demand for the low-fat, high-protein meat.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports a high percentage of chickens sold commercially are contaminated with salmonella.

  Cooked chicken is an uncommon source of salmonella poisoning mainly because chicken is not usually eaten rare.  But cross-contamination of the cooked meat or other foods from unwashed utensils, plates and dripping juice is a significant problem.  Highly publicized incidents involve restaurants or food services since greater numbers get sick simultaneously.  The greatest danger is in the home kitchen.  Beef poses a special risk because many people eat hamburger, steaks, or roasts very rare or pink in the middle.

  Although Americans have the safest food supply in the world, Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta estimates that there are 76 million illnesses due to foodborne contamination.  They also estimate there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.  Pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses include bacteria, viruses, parasites and toxins.

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