A salmonella infection is a foodborne illness caused by the salmonella bacteria carried by some animals, which can be transmitted from kitchen surfaces and can be in water, soil, animal feces, raw meats, and eggs. Salmonella infections typically affect the intestines, causing vomiting, fever, and other symptoms that usually resolve without medical treatment.
Prevention
You have many ways to help prevent salmonella bacteria from making your family sick. Most salmonella bacteria appear in animal products and can be killed by the heat from cooking. So it's important to make sure that you don't serve raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Microwaving is not a reliable way to kill the salmonella bacteria.
Because salmonella bacteria can contaminate even intact and disinfected grade A eggs, avoid serving poached eggs or eggs that are served sunny-side up.
Salmonella also can be spread through cross-contamination, so when you're preparing meals, keep uncooked meats away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods. In addition, thoroughly wash your hands, cutting boards, counters, and knives after handling uncooked foods.
Some foods may contain unrecognized raw-food products and should be avoided. Caesar salad dressing, the Italian dessert tiramisu, homemade ice cream, chocolate mousse, eggnog, cookie dough, and frostings can contain raw eggs. Unpasteurized milk and juices also can be contaminated with salmonella.
Fecal matter is often the source of salmonella contamination, so hand washing is extremely important, particularly after using the toilet and before preparing food.
Cleanliness is a key to prevention. Hand washing with soap and hot water, especially after handling eggs, poultry, and raw meat is likely to reduce the chance for infections. The use of antibacterial soaps has been recommended by some investigators. By using chlorine-treated drinking water, washed produce, and by not ingesting undercooked foods such as eggs, meat or other food, people can also reduce the chance of exposure to Salmonella. Avoiding direct contact with animal carriers of Salmonella (for example, turtles, snakes, pigs)
Take care to avoid contact with the feces of family pets — especially reptiles. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling an animal and ensure that no reptiles are permitted to come into contact with an infant. Even healthy reptiles (especially turtles and iguanas) are not appropriate pets for small children and should not be in the same house as an infant.
