Salmonellosis, also called "raw egg disease", is an acute infectious disease. This disease, which is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations, is mainly characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms as inflammatory diseases of the stomach, small and large intestines. All this gastrointestinal "kaleidoscope" subsequently causes intoxication, as well as dehydration and the addition of other clinical "surprises".

The causative agent of salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is caused by a large group of bacteria belonging to the Salmonella family. These representatives of the microcosm are very tenacious. For salmonella, meat and dairy products of various types serve as an ideal environment, but in particular, these are raw eggs, where the bacterium can not only exist, but also multiply rapidly, creating entire colonies. The taste and texture of the products does not change at all. Smoking and salting in such a case does not save the situation.

What are the causes of salmonellosis

Humans are very susceptible to Salmonella infestation. Animals are carriers of salmonella. These can be wild animals, birds, or domestic animals, in most cases pigs, as well as cattle. Recently, salmonellosis has become popular among chickens. In bird droppings, salmonella feel especially good, the ubiquity of which makes this substance extremely contagious. And infection occurs on farms when caring for animals, when cattle are slaughtered at various meat processing plants, when infected meat is used for food, as well as dairy products and eggs. You should also beware of your pets, since up to 10% of dogs and cats are considered carriers of salmonella.

People can also be a source of infection, and especially in hospital settings. A person can carry salmonella secretly for up to 1 year. Salmonellosis poses an increased threat to children under the age of one year, since this period is marked by a high susceptibility to salmonella.

The method of transmission of salmonellosis is considered to be fecal-oral. If you broke an egg, and the smell of it seems suspicious to you, then it is better not to tempt fate. Plant foods and fish are safer in this case. It is also possible a contact route of infection in the domestic environment, for example, through common items, nurses' and parents' hands, children's toys, chamber pots, through medical products. And another invasive known factor is dust containing elements of the droppings of infected birds.

Unlike some intestinal infections, salmonellosis cannot be considered a sort of "village" disease: it occurs in most cases in large cities.

What are the symptoms of salmonellosis

It was revealed that there are several forms of this disease. It is gastrointestinal (when the stomach is involved), also gastroenterocolitic (large intestine) and gastroenteric (small intestine) variant. Still generalized, which is represented by typhoid-like and septic variants.

Most often, salmonellosis occurs in the gastroenteric variant. The disease begins to manifest itself quickly, even a few hours after the invasion of the infection: the temperature rises, aches and chills are felt in the body, and the head hurts. After joining this pain in the abdomen (near the navel and in the pit of the stomach), nausea, and also uncontrolled vomiting. Diarrhea appears, and with the transition from an already formed stool to foamy, watery, greenish stools. Diuresis is expected to decrease. Abdominal distention is also noted with slight pain on palpation.

The gastroenterocolitic variant at first is no different from the gastroenteric variant. Its originality begins to appear on the 2nd-3rd day, when, simultaneously with a decrease in the volume of feces, mucus and blood begin to be detected in the latter. When probing the abdomen, pain is localized in the large intestine. There may be a false urge to defecate with severe pain.

The gastric variant of the disease is relatively rare. It differs from the previous two in the absence of diarrhea. And everything else - pain in the abdomen, vomiting, also an acute onset - in place. In this case, the course of the disease is more favorable.

Generalized salmonellosis is a typhoid-like variant that is similar to typhoid fever. This is an acute intoxication, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, lethargy, rash and bloating, lethargy. It is better not to encounter this option: in terms of severity, it will “plug” all the previous ones. It starts like typhus. This variant of the disease is not amenable to antibiotic therapy. Foci of sepsis are formed everywhere, in the bones and joints, in the heart muscle, aorta, and in the brain.

What is the treatment for salmonellosis

In a hospital, treatment of salmonellosis is provided only in the presence of complications. When the degree of intoxication is high, as well as dehydration (dehydration), the patient may be required not to leave the bed.

Treatment of the disease begins with washing the gastrointestinal tract, with the appointment of enterosorbents (, enterodesis, polysorb).

Depending on dehydration, 3 (sometimes 4) degrees of dehydration are distinguished. If salmonellosis is accompanied by 1-2 degrees of dehydration, in this case, doctors prescribe water-salt solutions along with glucose like hydrovit, rehydron, glucosolan. Take solutions inside quite often and in small portions. And with dehydration of the 3rd degree, intravenous jet administration of crystalline polyionic solutions (quartasol, trisol) is always indicated.

Already after the completion of the correction of the water and electrolyte balance, various detoxification measures can be carried out by introducing hemodez, rheopolyglucin and other macromolecular colloid preparations.

And with the gastrointestinal form of salmonellosis, as a rule, antibiotics are not prescribed. Only with generalized forms of the disease is it appropriate to take ciprofloxacin, fluoroquinolones, levomycetin or.

With salmonellosis, eubiotics (bactisubtil, lineks, bioflor), also enzyme preparations (festal, mezim), antispasmodics (no-shpa) are prescribed as adjuvants.

Infections transmitted through eggs.

Infection of eggs with pathogenic microorganisms also occurs exogenously and endogenously.

Of particular danger are waterfowl eggs, which are often infected with salmonella. Salmonella entering the egg develop freely in it, since lysozyme does not act on them. The most dangerous among Salmonella are: S. enteritidis, S. cholerae suis, S. typhimurium, S. newport, S. dublin, S. anatum, etc. In this regard, sell duck and goose eggs in grocery stores, markets and sell their raw form through the catering network is prohibited.

Of the salmonellosis in chickens, pullorosis is most often noted. The main source of infection in pullorosis are bacterial carriers, from which eggs infected with S. pullorum and S. gallinarum are obtained. Chickens sick with pullorosis are hatched from such eggs, which release the pathogen into the external environment. Previously, these salmonella were considered safe. Eating eggs infected with S. pullorum and S. gallinarum is now known to be one of the causes of foodborne illness in humans. The most favorable environment for the development of Salmonella is the yolk.

In addition to salmonella, Vibrio cholerae and other pathogenic microorganisms, including tuberculosis pathogens, can enter the egg through the pores of the shell. Most often, M. avium is found in chicken eggs. Eggs obtained from chickens with tuberculosis and suspicious for this disease are used for food purposes only at industrial food industry enterprises after preliminary heat treatment. The sale of such eggs through the trading network and public catering establishments is prohibited.

The causative agent of mycoplasmosis (Mycoplasma galhsepticum) is transmitted mainly by the transovarial route. Endogenous infection of eggs is also noted by pathogens of plague, cholera, etc. Endogenous infection of food eggs with viruses can also be observed when birds are immunized with live virus vaccines used in industrial poultry farming.

In addition, endogenous infection of eggs is possible in diseases of the ovaries and oviducts of various etiologies. In this case, eggs can be infected with staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Proteus bacillus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, fluorescent bacilli and other microorganisms.

Cases of intestinal infection are most often found in young children due to weak immunity and carelessness. According to statistics, children under 2 years old are infected with salmonella bacteria 5 times more often than older children. You can recognize salmonellosis by the acute clinical picture of symptoms, such as abdominal pain, vomiting and loose stools, fever and loss of strength. Diseases can occur in different forms, but in 70% of cases of infection, a person suffers from the gastrointestinal form.

Modern medicine is in search of methods and measures to prevent the spread of salmonellosis. Current topics are questions about how the infection is transmitted, whether salmonellosis is transmitted from person to person, whether salmonellosis is transmitted through breast milk, and what precautions can protect a person from pathogenic bacteria.

How is salmonella transmitted from person to person?

Most often, human infection with salmonellosis occurs by contact-household if someone in the family or environment has more such an intestinal infection. At the same time, few people are aware of whether salmonellosis is transmitted from person to person, and in what way this happens. The specificity of the transmission of pathogens occurs in the usual way for any intestinal infections - by the fecal route.

In addition, you can catch Salmonella bacilli if you do not follow the rules of personal hygiene, for example, when using the personal belongings of an infected person. Also enough bodily contact with the carrier of the infection, as well as dirty hands after that, to become a new object of salmonella. The disease and infection are usually exposed to people with a susceptible organism that has suffered severe illness. Most often, the contact route of transmission of salmonella is characteristic of infants and newborns in a stationary clinic.

Salmonellosis in eggs: answers to basic questions

Many culinary dishes include raw or undercooked eggs. In addition, most of the foods that people use daily contain raw eggs (for example, mayonnaise, creams in confectionery and desserts). Therefore, we can safely say that the threat of salmonella infection looms over every person. And not everyone knows how not to get infected with salmonellosis from eggs. Therefore, experts identify the most pressing questions, and also give accurate answers to them.

Is there salmonellosis in quail eggs?

The opinion that quail eggs cannot be a source of salmonellosis is actually a simple marketing ploy. This was due to the fact that quails have a body temperature much higher than an ordinary chicken (about 42 degrees), which makes her body more resistant to infections and other diseases. In fact, the quail will not suffer from salmonellosis, but this does not negate the possibility of the presence of the disease in the "sleep" mode.

For reference! The harmful temperature for salmonella is at least 55 degrees, in this state the bacillus should stay for at least an hour and a half. At a temperature of 60 degrees, the bacteria can hold out for a maximum of 12 minutes.

Based on this, it becomes clear that quail eggs can also be carriers of salmonellosis, but less often than chicken eggs.

How to treat eggs for salmonellosis?

The main question of most lovers of chicken eggs is as follows - how not to get salmonellosis from eggs? The main rule of caution is that you need to buy such a food product in stores that undergo quality certification. In spontaneous markets, purchasing eggs is a big health risk. After buying eggs, they should be washed immediately under warm water and soap to remove chicken droppings and shell contamination.

Eggs should be stored in special containers, protecting them from contact with other potentially hazardous foods. Doctors strongly advise against giving raw eggs to children under 3 years old.. To kill bacteria, the product must be kept continuously in the cold for some time, and then boiled for at least 5 minutes.

Salmonellosis in the egg or on the shell?

During the formation of the egg inside the hen, the fetus itself cannot become infected from the laying hen. The only way to infect an egg is the remains of droppings on its shell.. After an egg has been contaminated with droppings, Salmonella bacilli can independently penetrate the shell and infect the contents of the egg.

Based on this, experts recommend washing eggs thoroughly under running water with soap to eliminate chicken droppings and any germs on its surface. In addition, you need to buy eggs only with a mark of product certification, at reliable points of sale and without visible contamination.

What are the risks of infection?

In fact, the risks of salmonella infection are quite high. because salmonellosis is transmitted by eating many foods of animal origin. These are not only chicken eggs, but also milk, meat products, etc. In addition, you can become infected with bacilli from another person. Despite the ubiquitous environment of humans with bacteria, the risks of infection are low.

The human body has special defenses (immunity) against any viruses and infections. Even if salmonella enters the human oral cavity, any microorganisms undergo a collision with salivary gland enzymes, bile and many other elements of the digestive system. Therefore, the chances of surviving and continuing their existence in the human body in Salmonella are relatively small.

The main condition for the prevention of salmonellosis is a strong immune system and the protective functions of the human body. During the off-season and after illnesses, an important condition for the restoration of protective forces is the intake of vitamins and immunomodulators, as well as all kinds of traditional medicine. Therefore, at risk are most often children whose immune system is only at the stage of formation.

Salmonellosis is known to many. It seems that this infectious disease is understandable in its essence. It is said that it can be contracted by eating raw eggs or poorly cooked chicken. People believe that this disease is rare, but easy to treat.

However, medical scientists themselves urge not to trust the myths about salmonellosis, because its danger is often underestimated. As a result, people can risk their health without knowing it. So what is true and what is false in such statements?

Chickens are carriers of salmonellosis. This terrible infection comes not only from chickens, but in general from poultry and animals. A certain role in the distribution is assigned to man. At the same time, not only those who are already more salmonellosis can help the infection, but also just a carrier. The person himself does not see any symptoms of the disease in himself, but he can continue to transmit salmonella. When examining chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry, salmonella is found in almost half of the cases. But no less significant indicator - about 40% is observed in rodents. The dangerous infection is widespread among wild birds such as sparrows, pigeons, gulls and starlings. Even cats and dogs in 10% of cases are carriers of salmonella. Carriers are also sheep, pigs, cattle. So don't blame the chickens alone.

Sources of infection are chicken eggs. In fact, there is no salmonella in fresh eggs at all. It just happens that eggs get particles of chicken manure, which contains dangerous bacteria. Some time passes - from 4 hours to 5 days, the infection penetrates through the shell into the egg and infects it. That is why before using the egg, it must first be washed with soap and water.

You can safely eat boiled and fried eggs. From heat treatment, the pathogen really dies. However, it is worth understanding what kind of processing will be considered correct. For example, scrambled eggs can be eaten without fear of salmonellosis, if after frying on one side the dish is turned over to the other, with the yolk down. Such frying will certainly destroy the salmonella bacteria. It is clear that eating raw eggs is a risky business.

Salmonella will die in the freezer. Unfortunately, these bacteria are very tenacious. They feel good in the external environment. For example, bacteria can live in water for up to 5 months, in meat and sausage - 2-4 months, in frozen meat - up to six months, and in frozen bird carcasses for more than a year. In milk, the bacterium can survive up to 20 days, in kefir - 2 months, in butter - up to 4 months, and in cheese - up to a year. In egg powder, the bacterium will live from 3 to 9 months. It is worth noting that in some products, such as meat and dairy, Salmonella can also multiply quite successfully without changing the appearance of the products and their taste. Salting and smoking have practically no effect on bacteria, and freezing generally seems to conserve them, increasing their lifespan.

There is no salmonella in quail eggs. In fact, quail eggs are only safe to eat if they are fried on both sides. Birds become infected due to poor care and improper feeding. Most often, the source of infection is compound feed, which includes processed animal raw materials. We are talking about large and small cattle, pigs. If such food is given to quails in the poultry house, which, moreover, will be kept in poor, hot conditions, then these birds will also have salmonella. So quail eggs cannot be considered safe in this regard.

After the raw meat is cut with a knife, it is enough to simply rinse it. In fact, people most often become infected with salmonellosis due to their carelessness. Raw meat - pork, beef, may contain salmonellosis bacteria. That is why it is not enough to simply rinse the cutting board and knife after cutting. It is best to thermally treat the dishes in which the cutting took place. Ideally, every housewife should generally have a special knife and board specifically for raw meat. It is unacceptable to put bread or vegetables in the dishes where the meat of poultry or animals was damp. And it is better to immediately place leftover food in the refrigerator, because bacteria at room temperature begin to multiply rapidly.

Salmonellosis most often affects children. You should not rely on the fact that such a disease is indeed more often recorded in children. It's just that babies are much more difficult to tolerate the disease. In an adult, salmonellosis occurs in a mild form. This is similar to common food poisoning or indigestion. The classic symptoms of salmonellosis are stomach cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting, high fever, constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms will manifest themselves within 12-48 hours after eating a meal with salmonella. The disease in a mild form will pass in a week, but for the treatment of severe cases, antibiotics cannot be dispensed with.

You can cure yourself of salmonellosis. Currently, the Internet provides a lot of information for self-treatment, and you can buy any antibiotic in pharmacies. Is it really impossible to deal with salmonellosis on your own? Such a myth can actually be added about any disease. However, it is worth remembering that salmonellosis is an infectious disease that can also take a chronic form. Then already without treatment in a hospital not to manage. A person who is a carrier of infection is most dangerous for newborns. After all, while babies are not a year old, they are especially sensitive to all intestinal infections. So not only should you not self-medicate, but children should not be treated on their own. This will already be a direct risk to their lives.

Slight malaise, slight stool disorder, high fever, repeated vomiting, abdominal pain and dizziness up to loss of consciousness. All these symptoms can indicate a condition such as salmonellosis. Where does this unpleasant disease come from, which causes many problems to our body, we will tell in our article.

Salmonellosis and its causes

No one will argue with the fact that elementary hand hygiene and the use of washed vegetables and fruits should be an unshakable rule of a modern person. No less important is the heat treatment of products in order to avoid infection with various infections, in particular salmonella. Those who consume raw eggs are especially at risk in this regard.

salmonellosis - a disease that is included in the group of acute intestinal infections and is one of the most common in the world. The causative agents are bacteria from the Salmonella group that affect the gastrointestinal tract, namely the small intestine.

Interesting

Salmonella is very stable and can persist in the external environment for a long time: in reservoirs - 120 days, in soil up to 1.5 years, indoors in dust - up to 500 days, in sea water - 200 days. In food: in milk - 20 days, in sausage products - 2-4 months, in kefir - 2 months, in frozen meat - from six months to a year, in butter - 120 days, in beer - 2 months, in cheeses - almost a year.

Ways of infection with salmonellosis

The main route of transmission of salmonellosis is food, through food, especially animal origin: meat, eggs and milk. The most dangerous in this regard are poultry meat, pork, beef, veal, and minced meat, sausages, sausages, etc. made from them. Infection usually occurs when they are insufficiently heat-treated or stored at temperatures above + 4 ° C, at which Salmonella does not not only persist, but also multiply rapidly. Eating unpasteurized milk and foods made with raw eggs can also lead to this condition. It is worth noting that people are relatively rarely infected with salmonellosis through water. These dangerous bacteria usually contaminate the water of open bodies of water, and infection occurs when washing dishes.

Important

Salmonellosis diseases are most often observed in the warm season, which depends on the presence of favorable conditions for the reproduction of pathogens in food products. Infected with bacteria, they do not change their appearance and taste, which is the insidiousness of this disease.

Symptoms of the disease

The incubation period of salmonellosis is mainly from 6 to 14 hours, in rare cases it reaches up to 1-2 days. If the disease is mild, nausea, sometimes vomiting, and abdominal pain appear. The chair becomes more frequent up to 3-5 times a day (mushy or liquid, without impurities or with no large quantity slime and greens). The general condition of the patients is slightly disturbed, the temperature is normal or slightly elevated.

In a severe form of the development of this disease, symptoms of severe intoxication come first. The patient is concerned about severe pain in the abdomen, general weakness, lowering blood pressure. Body temperature rises to 38-39°C. The stools, at first watery and fetid, may lose their fecal character and look like rice water, much like cholera in flow. As a result of profuse vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration occurs.

Treatment of salmonellosis

With a mild degree of the disease, according to the prescription of an infectious disease specialist, treatment can be carried out on an outpatient basis. Patients with moderate and severe forms of the disease are subject to hospitalization in an infectious diseases hospital. Treatment of intestinal infection is carried out depending on the age of the patient, the stage of the inflammatory process and taking into account concomitant chronic conditions.

It should be remembered that salmonellosis is a very serious disease that requires treatment. Just like that, these bacteria will not leave the body. And therefore, if you do not treat it, then the most harmless thing that can happen after a disease is a violation of water-salt metabolism and intestinal microflora. In severe cases of the disease and severe intoxication of the body, salmonella can lead to such serious complications as infectious-toxic shock, heart failure, cerebral edema, urinary and biliary tract infections.

Important

Salmonellosis should not be taken lightly, as it can lead not only to very serious complications, but even to death.

diet after illness

After the illness, berries, fruits, vegetables, and sour-milk products should not be included in the diet - they can cause flatulence and upset stools.

Confectionery, heavy fatty, spicy, canned and salty foods should also be excluded from the diet so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract during the rehabilitation period. But you can help your body by eating light soups, crackers and bagels, potato and boiled meat.

How not to get sick with salmonellosis?

There are certain rules, following which, you can avoid many acute intestinal infections, including salmonellosis:

1. Wash your hands before eating - the most important rule, familiar from childhood, but for the prevention of salmonellosis and other intestinal infections is the most effective.

2. Have a separate knife for raw meat and fish - this also applies to the cutting board, which, together with the knife, should be thoroughly washed and rinsed with boiling water after use.

3. Heat meat, fish and poultry well.

4. Don't drink raw eggs. Fans of this healthy and nutritious product, in order to reduce the risk of getting this bad disease, should know that just rinsing the eggshell is not enough. The egg must be well fried or hard boiled (at least 10 minutes).

5. Drink only boiled milk, and also, in order not to tempt fate, do not use cottage cheese purchased on the market in hot weather.

6. In catering establishments, you should not order sushi, bloody roast beef, puddings, salads dressed with mayonnaise, and egg dishes.

L. B. Nurzhanova,

Master of Public Health,

Specialist "Social Hygiene"

and healthcare organization"