What to do During a Salmonella Outbreak
Foodborne disease outbreaks are unsettling. Knowing the safety measures for preventing foodborne illnesses can guide you towards peace of mind during a foodborne outbreak.
General facts about Salmonella infections:
- Symptoms of an infection from Salmonella include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, stomach cramps
- Signs of illness from the infection will arise
Contributor Laila Carter, food science major at Kansas State University within 12-72 hours after injection of food contaminated with Salmonella
The illness typically lasts for 4 to 7 days
- An infection from Salmonella can lead to severe dehydration if you do not consume enough fluids during illness.
- According to the Center for Disease Control, those at most risk of developing a severe illness for Salmonella infection are “Children younger than 5 years, pregnant women, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems”
How to reduce the likelihood of getting a Salmonella infection:
- Know that chicken commonly carries Salmonella, so treat raw poultry with the utmost caution. Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat, thoroughly clean all utensils, plates, cutting boards, and surfaces after
- Know that eggs, raw fruits and vegetables, nut butters, and flour can also become contaminated with Salmonella because Salmonella is commonly transmitted from animal feces. Tiny fecal particles from animals can get on growing crops prior to harvest or be transmitted during processing if a facility does not have proper sanitation and control methods.
- Wash your hands! Before and after preparing food, thoroughly wash your hands with warm running water and soap.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature outside is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Regarding fresh produce, choose produce that is not bruised or damaged, keep ready-to-eat produce (i.e. pre-cut melons, salad mixes, etc.) refrigerated, and separate produce from raw meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.
