It’s been really rough lately, viruses and bacteria take turns!
The World Health Organization announced on the 27th that 11 countries have recently reported suspected cases of salmonella infection related to chocolate produced in Belgium, and chocolate contaminated with salmonella has been sold to at least 113 countries and region. The chocolates come from the Kinder chocolate range produced at the Italian Ferrero Group’s factory in Arlon, Belgium.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is a group of gram-negative bacteria that live in the intestines of humans and animals. Salmonella is not just one type of bacteria, there are more than 2000 species of bacteria in the entire Salmonella genus, widely distributed in nature, only a few can cause illness in humans, and most human infections are caused by two serotypes of Salmonella: Typhimurium Bacteria and Enteritidis. Among the pathogenic microorganisms that cause food-borne illness (food poisoning), Salmonella is the most common pathogen, which is generally transmitted by the fecal-oral route, that is, ingestion of contaminated food and water.
Salmonella can survive for 2-3 weeks in water, 3-4 months in the refrigerator, and 1-2 months in the feces of the natural environment. Mass reproduction, therefore, high temperature is the condition for Salmonella to multiply, and summer and autumn are the seasons of high incidence.
Is a Salmonella infection scary?
About 450 people in the United States die each year from non-typhoid salmonella. But most of the time, for most people, it just means a bout of food poisoning that lasts 8 to 72 hours.
All people are susceptible to Salmonella. The main symptoms of Salmonella infection are fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, etc. It can also be accompanied by muscle pain. The natural course of the disease may be Lasts 1-2 weeks. A small number of children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems may also experience dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, and even life-threatening bacteremia or meningitis, with blurred vision, restlessness, and lethargy.
The symptoms of Salmonella typhi infection are relatively severe, the most typical and important manifestations are persistent fever, abdominal pain, hepatosplenomegaly, etc., sometimes accompanied by rose-colored rash and relatively bradycardia In severe cases, neurological symptoms such as indifference and unresponsiveness may occur, and serious complications such as intestinal bleeding and intestinal perforation may also occur.
How to avoid food poisoning from salmonella infection?
Mainly to ensure that food and drinking water are clean and hygienic, do not eat cold and spoiled food, and do not drink unboiled water. Salmonella is not heat resistant, the best way to kill salmonella is heat, the higher the temperature, the better the effect. Salmonella dies immediately when it reaches 100°C. When the temperature of the food reaches 80°C, boil it for 15 minutes, and boil the eggs for 8 to 10 minutes to kill Salmonella. If it is salmonella in the environment, it can be killed with 84 disinfectant.
The second is to pay attention to hand hygiene, wash hands before meals, and wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating, and separate raw food and cooked food on the cutting board to ensure that the food is clean.