Fact file - salmonellosis

Disease: salmonellosis

Disease: salmonellosis

What causes it? salmonella spps. Main culprits: salmonella enteritidis associated with chickens and eggs and salmonella typhimurium associated with pork. Salmonella bredeny is found in Irish poultry but is not common elsewhere in Europe.

Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever and headache. Onset time: six to 48 hours.

Treatment: antibiotics not generally recommended unless the infection has spread from the intestine. Symptoms usually last five to seven days.

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Associated foods: chicken, eggs, pork, dairy products, sauces, fish.

Prevention:

Don't cross contaminate cooked and raw meats. Zone the fridge, putting raw meat below cooked so juices don't drip down.

Make sure the fridge temperature is below 5C. Cook pork and poultry so that there is no pinkness and juices run clear.