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Salmonella

7 April 2008

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes mild to severe gastroenteritis in people and animals. The primary reservoir of Salmonella is in the gut and it can therefore be found on most foods of animal origin such as meat or eggs; foods that have been washed in contaminated water or touched by infected food handlers.

Symptoms of salmonellosis become apparent within 6 hours to 2 days and include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever and headache.

Food implicated in outbreaks have included raw meats, poultry, unpasteurised milk and dairy products, seafoods, fresh produce (including sprouts), foods handled by infected foodhandlers, eg, kebabs and sandwiches.

Salmonellosis is a notifiable disease and approximately 30.2 cases per 100,000 population are recorded each year.

Over 2000 serotypes are recognised, and two rare serotypes have been in the news recently –Salmonella Mbandaka and S. Chester (just two of many serotypes recorded in New Zealand).

You can reduce your risk of infection by remembering the four C’s – clean, cook, cover, chill, and the 20-20 hand washing rule.

• 4Cs rule – clean, cook, cover, chill

• 20+20 hand washing rule before and after handling food

Resources

• Detailed information about non-typhoid Salmonella [PDF: 24K, 3 pages]

• Detailed information about typhoid Salmonella [PDF: 20K, 3 pages]

• Frequently asked questions about Salmonella Brandenburg

Research

• Modelling of Exposure of New Zealand consumers to Salmonella (NZFSA Science Group Report 2007) [PDF: 1012K, 47 pages]

• Survey of Salmonella in uncooked retail meats (Journal of Food Protection, Volume 70, Number 6, June 2007, pp. 1360-1365(6))

• Survey of retail eggs for Salmonella (report, 2007) [PDF: 105K, 29 pages]

• Investigation of a Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak in the Auckland and Waikato Regions (public health report, 2006) [PDF: 499K, 23 pages]

• Prevalence and levels of Salmonella through the production chain to retail (2005)

• Salmonella (non-typhoidal) in poultry (whole and pieces) (risk profile, 2004) [PDF: 858K, 80 pages]

• Salmonella (non-typhoidal) in eggs and on eggs (risk profile, 2004) [PDF: 867K, 93 pages]