Salmonella Poisoning Symptoms and Treatment
Salmonella Poisoning is known medically as salmonellosis, this major type of food poisoning is caused by bacteria that multiply rapidly at room temperatures. Every year about four million cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States. Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis, and young children are among those most likely to have severe infections. Experts estimate that about 600 people die each year with acute salmonellosis.
Salmonellosis is very common in this country; bonemeal, fertilizer, and pet foods all may be implicated in the spread of the disease. In particular, recent outbreaks have been linked to chickens and eggs; it is estimated that 35 percent of all chickens in processing plants harbor the bacteria. The largest outbreak ever recorded occurred in 1994 and involved more than 200,000 Americans. In this case, commercially pasteurized ice cream premix was contaminated by bacteria during transport to a Minnesota ice cream plant in tanker trailers that had previously carried nonpasteurized liquid eggs. The outbreak ended only after sales of the ice cream were stopped.
Prevention and Treatment of Traveler’s Diarrhea
Traveler's Diarrhea is type of diarrhea that results from eating or drinking water contaminated with feces while traveling in other countries. Up to half of all Americans who visit the tropics pick up traveler’s diarrhea (or “Montezuma’s revenge”) or, in Spanish-speaking countries, “turista.”
Areas of high risk include the developing countries of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.Traveler’s diarrhea is more common in younger people. The risk of infection varies depending on where the child eats, from a low risk (in private homes) to high risk (food from street vendors).
Cause
Most traveler’s diarrhea is caused by a special strain of the common intestinal bacteria ESCHERICHIA COLI.Other bacteria responsible for SALMONELLA POISONING and SHIGELLOSIS can also cause diarrhea, as can the parasitic conditions of GIARDIASIS and amebiasis.