Salmonella

The only known successful use of biological weapons in the United States was by the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh cult in 1984. The group contaminated salad bars in 10 restaurants in The Dalles, Ore., with Salmonella Typhimurium, causing several hundred people to become ill.
Incubation Period: 6-72 hours
Natural risk to humans is from food. Only 15% of cases are reported. Estimates in US are 5 million cases/year.
Salmonella presents as an acute enterocolitis with sudden headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever.  Stools are bloody in 34%. Untreated case can become carrier for months (1% of adults and 5% of children for up to a year)
Complications include septic arthirtis, cholecystitis, meningitis, and endocarditis.
Refrigerate or freeze perishables immediately. Refrigerator temperature should be 5° C (41° F), and the freezer should be -18° C (0° F). Check these periodically with a good thermometer.

* Poultry and meat can be stored in the refrigerator in its plastic wrap for a day or two.
* Tightly wrap any foods destined for the freezer.
* Store eggs in the carton in the refrigerator rather than in the door, where the temperature is warmer.
* Keep seafood in the refrigerator or freezer until preparation time.

Potatoes don't belong in the refrigerator: store them in a cool, dry place.

Isolation

No special precautions are required. Healthcare workers use Standard and Enteric Precautions.

Quarantine

Quarantine of case contacts not required.
 
Identification, Characterization and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Salmonella and Shigella species
Isolated from Blood and Stool Samples of Patients Visiting Islamabad

Treatment

Antibiotics are not recommended for mild disease.

Ciprofloxacin 500mg po bid for 7 days.

Azithromycin 1gm po once then 500mg po bid for 6 more days.

Extend treatment to 14 days if immunocompromised

Pediatric

TMP/SMX 8mg/kg/d po tid for 14 days
Antibiotics may not reduce the time that bacteria are excreted. Symptomatic cases cannot handle food, provide care for infants, the elderly or the immunocompromised until two negative stools are documented a day apart and 48 hours after the last dose of ABX.

Prevention

"Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it"
 

* If you drink water, buy it bottled or bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute before you drink it. Bottled carbonated water is safer than uncarbonated water.
* Ask for drinks without ice unless the ice is made from bottled or boiled water. Avoid popsicles and flavored ices that may have been made with contaminated water.
* Eat foods that have been thoroughly cooked and that are still hot and steaming.
* Avoid raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled. Vegetables like lettuce are easily contaminated and are very hard to wash well.
* When you eat raw fruit or vegetables that can be peeled, peel them yourself. (Wash your hands with soap first.) Do not eat the peelings.
* Avoid foods and beverages from street vendors. It is difficult for food to be kept clean on the street, and many travelers get sick from food bought from street vendors.

 

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