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Salmonella outbreak isn't just spread through foods

St. Joseph News-Press - 8/1/2018

Aug. 01--Salmonella is generally associated with eating infected foods, but a current outbreak actually began spreading through simple contact with poultry.

Salmonella is a bacteria that was discovered more than 125 years ago that has been known to cause diarrhea and abdominal cramping as well as a low-grade fever, says Environmental Public Health Specialist Rick Messa. Vomiting, nausea and bloody diarrhea are inherent to this illness as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms can begin 12 to 72 hours after infection, and the illness can last from four to seven days. Those with compromised immune systems may find the infection spreading from their intestines to their bloodstream and require immediate medical attention as a result.

Messa, who performs food inspections at restaurants, grocery stores and even concession stands, says that we're most likely dealing with non-typhoid salmonella regarding some of the more recent outbreaks.

"The reason for the outbreaks can be multiple different things. You can get salmonella through fecal matter through animals or you can get it through contaminated water," he says. "And probably most of the outbreaks that we've got now are from contaminated water in the processing part."

As a result, a variety of foods can be cross-contaminated. In this year alone, the CDC has documented 12 cases of salmonella in the U.S., up from seven in 2017.

And while many still believe that poultry is the prime culprit for salmonella infections, the aforementioned contaminations that can seep into water supplies mean that a number of products are at risk. Just as well, many items are taken off the shelf if there's even a chance of contamination.

"It used to be that everybody thought just poultry -- chicken, turkey and eggs -- caused salmonella, but now, it's just about anything," Messa says. "Vegetables, fruits and now even spices and dry food. Once you've eaten the product, the bacteria's going to grow to a certain level, and produce toxins before it makes you sick, and generally that's between 12 and 72 hours."

He says that if some plants are not sealed or cleaned well enough, birds can nest in them, contaminating the plants in the process.

But strangely enough, two of the 12 salmonella cases documented this year don't even involve the digesting of food.

Salmonella can spread through contact, and a current outbreak has more than 200 cases of the infection that can be traced to backyard chickens, covering 44 states and hospitalizing 34 people at the time of writing.

Coming into contact with chickens carrying salmonella or even their eggs can transfer that bacteria over to you. Be sure to wash your hands and body properly to minimize the risk, especially when you're preparing food.

"There's one thing that people are doing at home that they need to quit doing, and that's washing their poultry, because when they wash their chicken, that just spreads salmonella all over their kitchen," Messa says. "They don't need to do anything; they can just cook it."

And in the unfortunate circumstance where you are exposed to salmonella, he says to visit a doctor or caregiver, but more importantly, keep water near you at all times.

"One of the best things you can do is just to keep yourself hydrated," he says. "They can give an antibiotic, but they don't like to do that, because it can actually prolong the amount of time that you have salmonella. Generally it's reserved for the really young or old -- those who can't handle it."

He says to keep an eye on what you eat such as raw cookie dough, which contains raw eggs. Practice safe, smart cooking techniques and be aware of what outbreaks are currently circulating throughout your area.

Daniel Cobb can be reached at daniel.cobb@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowCobb.

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