Salmonella
11/19/2018
Don’t want to put a damper on anyone’s Thanksgiving, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a multistate outbreak of salmonella associated with raw turkey products. To complicate matters, this recent health concern is linked to a bacteria strain that is resistant to any antibacterial drugs, thereby compounding the health effects on humans. Just as an FYI, according to the CDC, when two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak. Only a few days ago, the US Department of Agriculture issued a recall of thousands of pounds of turkey from a major supplier.
Salmonella is a bacterium which was first discovered over 125 years ago by an American scientist named Dr. Salmon. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to have severe infections. The current strain is present in both live turkeys and raw turkey products, which could mean that it’s widespread in the industry.
Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces. Humans become infected most frequently through contaminated water or food. CDC estimates Salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year. Food is the source for about 1 million of these illnesses. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. Other signs and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, chills, headache and blood in the stool.
The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, diarrhea may be so acute, severe dehydration can result causing hospitalization. Life-threatening complications also may develop if the infection spreads beyond the intestines.
Salmonella infection is usually caused by eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs or egg products. The incubation period ranges from several hours to two days. Commonly infected foods include:
- Raw meat, poultry and seafood. Feces may get onto raw meat and poultry during the butchering process. Seafood may be contaminated if harvested from contaminated water.
- Raw eggs. While an egg’s shell may seem to be a perfect barrier to contamination, some infected chickens produce eggs that contain salmonella before the shell is even formed. Raw eggs are used in homemade versions of mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce.
- Fruits and vegetables. Some fresh produce, particularly imported varieties, may be hydrated in the field or washed during processing with water contaminated with salmonella. Contamination also can occur in the kitchen, when juices from raw meat and poultry come into contact with uncooked foods, such as salads.
Many foods become contaminated when prepared by people who don’t wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing a diaper. Infection also can occur if you touch something that is contaminated, including pets, especially birds and reptiles, and then put your fingers in your mouth.
And for all you travelers out there, international travel can increase your risk to salmonella as salmonellosis is more common in developing countries due to poor sanitation. So, when traveling to such countries, be careful with what you eat and – with all due respect to our foreign friends – it would be prudent to observe how food is being prepared. And if you are a pet owner, particularly birds and reptiles, your risk to salmonella bacteria also increases.
Salmonella infections can easily spread from one person to another. Therefore, wash hands before and after preparing or eating food, after contact with animals, and after using the restroom or changing diapers. Cook raw turkey thoroughly to kill harmful germs. Turkey breasts, whole turkeys, and ground poultry, including turkey burgers, casseroles, and sausage, should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill harmful germs. Leftovers should be reheated to 165°F. Use a food thermometer and place it in the thickest part of the food.
Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended! Germs in raw poultry juices can spread to other areas and foods. Thoroughly wash hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils with warm, soapy water after they touch raw turkey. Use a separate cutting board for raw turkey and other raw meats if possible.
Thaw turkey in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water that is changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave (and, of course, clean the counters and wash your hands after disposing of the water used for thawing). Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter.
CDC does not recommend feeding raw diets to pets. Germs like salmonella in raw pet food can make your pets sick. Your family also can get sick by handling raw pet food and then preparing food for your family.
Store raw meat, poultry and seafood away from other foods in your refrigerator. If possible, have two cutting boards in your kitchen — one for raw meat and the other for fruits and vegetables. And never place cooked food on an unwashed plate that previously held raw meat. One last bit of preventative advice is to avoid eating raw eggs. That includes cookie dough, homemade ice cream and eggnog as they typically contain raw eggs (Wait! No homemade Ice cream, eggnog OR raw cookie dough! – A man has got to draw the line somewhere!). OK, eggnog can be OK – IF, it’s pasteurized. Alright everyone, you heard the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to salmonella poisoning and Thanksgiving. Just follow a few precautions and I’m sure your Holiday will be GREAT! Bottoms up and DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!! (Remember there’s Uber and Lyft!).
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