What is Salmonella and How Can You Prevent Infection?

KOMPAS.com – Salmonella is one of the four causes of diarrhea cases in the world. Salmonella is most commonly found in food, not only food sold directly, but also packaged food. What is Salmonella?

Salmonella bacteria

Salmonella is Gram negative bacteria which can cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates this bacterium causes 1.35 million cases of infection each year in the United States.

Salmonella comes from the Enterobacteriaceae family. This bacterium has two species, namely: Salmonella bongori and Salmonella enterica. Both of these species are common causes of diarrhea.

In addition to these two species, there are also Salmonella species that cause different diseases, namely Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi. Both cause typhus.

Salmonella can be found anywhere. However, most of these bacteria are found in various types of food, especially undercooked and unsanitary foods. For example, raw eggs, raw meat, fruit, and vegetables that are not washed properly.

Unfortunately, food infected with Salmonella usually looks normal and doesn’t emit a strange odor. This makes it difficult for us to distinguish foods that are safe from Salmonella or not.

To prevent Salmonella bacteria, you can do the following:

• Wash hands with soap before and after preparing food
• Cooking food ingredients until cooked, avoid eating undercooked food
• When storing food, separate raw food, fruit and vegetables, and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination
• Store uneaten food in the refrigerator. Salmonella bacteria grow rapidly in room temperature and warmer air
• Don’t underestimate Salmonella. Most cases may only cause mild symptoms. However, some groups may experience more severe symptoms, such as infants and young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems, such as people with HIV/AIDS.

Also read: What Diseases Caused by Salmonella?

Why is it important to treat a Salmonella infection properly?

Salmonella infection is a case with increasing levels of antibiotic resistance. This makes it difficult to treat Salmonella infection in more severe cases. Severe cases of Salmonella can cause death. Deaths from Salmonella in the United States reach 420 cases per year.

The most important way to prevent antibiotic resistance is to use antibiotics wisely. This means only using antibiotics when needed and prescribed by a doctor. By doing so, you are helping to make Salmonella treatment more effective.

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