Dr. Wojo. Healthy Living. Simplified.

Over the past couple weeks a new outbreak of Salmonella poisoning was confirmed – 1,300 people in America became ill after eating raw jalapeño peppers. Salmonella poisoning can be serious, so let’s look at this growing health problem.

What is Salmonella? An American scientist named Daniel Elmer Salmon discovered this bacterium over a hundred years ago. There are over 2,000 different species of Salmonella and many are common in the United States. The bacteria live in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of many creatures and are passed in the stool. When ingested, it can cause a variety of GI complaints.

What are the symptoms? When a person is exposed to food that is contaminated with animal feces, it may take 12 to 72 hours for the person to develop fever, chills, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The symptoms may last from 4 to 7 days and, generally, healthy people will recover without consequence.  But, the very young, elderly, and people with weakened immune systems may become very ill and suffer from dehydration that could lead to hospitalization. The bacterium may also go into the blood stream, which is a very serious complication.

What is the diagnosis and treatment? Since people experience a variety of symptoms consistent with the “stomach flu”, it can be difficult to determine if Salmonella is the cause.  Special testing and culturing of the stool will identify the pathogen, but it may take 2 to 3 days to identify the bacterium.
Usually medical treatment, other than replenishing one’s fluids by drinking water, is not necessary. Very severe cases may require an antibiotic to shorten the course and protect the frail patient.  It may take a few months for a person’s bowel habits to return to normal. A very small percentage of patients can develop an unusual type of arthritis called Reiter’s Syndrome after exposure, but this is quite rare.

How do I prevent exposure? Be sure that the red meats and poultry you eat are well cooked and do not return the cooked meat to the same unwashed plate that held the raw meat. Be sure to wash all fruits and vegetables prior to consumption. And be certain that infected individuals avoid handling food. Simple methods such as this can avoid a week of abdominal complaints.