Question

Part I – Background on Salmonella

Salmonellosis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by bacteria from the genus Salmonella. The illness is characterized by the sudden onset of headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, and sometimes vomiting. Fever is almost always present. The illness typically lasts for 5-7 days and usually does not require treatment unless the patient becomes severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the intestines. In the immune compromised host or an overwhelming infection in a normal host, Salmonella may spread to the bloodstream and other body sites, and can cause death unless treated promptly with antibiotics.

Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including mammals, birds, and reptiles. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Implicated foods are typically those of animal origin, such as beef, poultry, milk, or eggs, but all foods, including vegetables, may become contaminated. The incubation period for salmonellosis is usually 12-36 hours, but can be as long as a week.

Part II - The Church Picnic

On a Saturday afternoon during the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., the Lafayette Community Church held a potluck supper in a wooded area near their church to where the food items were laid out on a table. The attending families each brought food from home to where all of the foods remained within their own containers. Some of the food items included the following: potato salad, hamburgers, shrimp fettuccine, and cheddar cheese with crackers to name a few. Within 24 hours, all those who attended the picnic became very ill and suffered extreme cases of diarrheal and vomiting episodes.

1. How is salmonellosis diagnosed? How does the method of diagnosis impact our understanding of the occurrence of salmonellosis in the community (e.g., burden of disease, trends over time, high-risk population)?
2. Based on the textbook readings from Chapter 3 and other Internet searches, what could have been some possible pathways for mode of transmission?
3. Identify some preventative strategies to avoid another type of food-borne illness outbreak to occur for this church.

Answer 1

Salmonellosis Diagnosis . The definitive diagnosis of typhoid fever depends on the isolation of S. typhi from blood, bone marrow or a specific anatomical lesionar uno o anormalt • The widal test was the mainstay of typhoid fever diagnosis for de cades. No

. Ox bile medium cox gall) is recommended for enteric fever pathogens (S. typhi & S. para typhi), only these pathogens can be grown on it. • More than 80% of patients with typhoid the causative organism in their fever have blood. • ELISA urine test to look for the causative High risk organisms. population are travellers, poor hy grene, children.

Modes of transmission Humans are the only natural source & reservoirs. ang The infection is transmitted by ingestion

of food or water contaminated with feces. Shell fish taken from contaminated water and saw fruit & regetables fertilised with Sewage. • Flies may cause human infection through transfer of the infectious agents to foods.

Prevention :- • Vaccines - Two vaccines are available and a - One is injected in single dose at least one week before travel. Ndering - One is given orally in four capsules, with one capsule to be taken every other day. • Wash your hands Avoid drinking untreated water. Avoid raw fruits & regetables, llenom o choose hot foods • Aroid under cooked foods. onts to SNT -