| Disease
Fact Sheet Series:
What is salmonellosis?
Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection that
generally affects the intestinal tract and occasionally urine, the
bloodstream or other body tissues. It is a common cause of diarrheal
illness in Wisconsin with over a thousand cases reported each year.
Who gets salmonellosis?
Any person can get salmonellosis.
How are salmonella bacteria spread?
Salmonella bacteria are spread by eating or drinking
contaminated food or water or by direct or indirect contact with fecal
material from infected people or animals.
What are the symptoms of salmonellosis?
People exposed to salmonella bacteria may experience mild to severe
diarrhea, abdominal pains, fever, and occasionally vomiting for several
days. Bloodstream infections are infrequent, but can be quite serious,
particularly in the very young or elderly.
How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?
The symptoms generally appear 18 to 36 hours after exposure, but they
can occur as quickly as 12 hours or as long as 72 hours after exposure.
Where are Salmonella found?
Salmonella are widely distributed in our food chain and
environment. The bacteria can be found in raw meats, poultry, eggs,
unpasteurized milk, and dairy products. People may also become exposed to
Salmonella bacteria through contact with animals such as pet chickens, dogs,
cats and reptiles. (See Reptile-Associated Salmonella Disease Fact
Sheet PDF 11 KB)
For how long can an infected person carry Salmonella?
The time period that a person can have Salmonella in their
stool (even after symptoms stop) is variable, usually several days to
several weeks. A temporary carrier state may continue for months,
especially in infants or people who have been treated with antibiotics.
About 1% of infected adults and 5% of children under 5 years old shed Salmonella
in their stool for over a year.
Do infected people need to be isolated or excluded
from work or school?
Since Salmonella bacteria are in the feces, people with active
diarrhea who are unable to control their bowel habits (e.g. infants, young
children, certain individuals with disabilities) should be strictly
supervised. Most infected people may return to work or school when their
stools become formed provided they carefully wash their hands after toilet
visits. Food workers, health care workers and children in day care must
obtain the approval of the local health department before returning to
work.
What is the treatment for salmonellosis?
Most people with salmonellosis will recover on their own or only
require fluids to prevent dehydration. Antibiotics and antidiarrheal drugs
are generally not recommended for persons with typical intestinal
infections.
How can salmonellosis be prevented?
-
Always treat raw eggs, poultry, beef and
pork as if they are contaminated and handle accordingly.
- Wrap fresh meats in plastic bags at the market to prevent
blood from dripping onto other foods.
- Refrigerate foods promptly; minimize holding at room
temperature.
- When refrigerating meats, place them on the bottom shelves to
prevent blood from dripping onto other foods.
- Cutting boards and counters used for preparation should be
washed with soap immediately after use to prevent cross
contamination with other foods.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked meats.
- Ensure that the correct internal cooking temperature is
reached particularly when using a microwave oven.
-
Avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs or
undercooking foods which contain raw eggs.
-
Avoid using and drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk.
-
Carefully wash hands with soap before and after food
preparation.
-
Make sure children wash their hands with
soap before eating, especially after handling pets.
-
Always carefully wash hands with soap after toilet visits.
For more information, contact your
Local
Public Health Department
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Last Revised: June 22, 2011
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