How can salmonella be prevented

Cross-Contamination Food and kitchen tools and surfaces may become contaminated from raw food products. Avoid unpasteurized foods Avoid unpasteurized raw milk and foods made from unpasteurized milk Cook and store your food at the appropriate temperatures Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs.

Use pasteurized eggs when making items that do not require cooking, such as hollandaise sauce, salad dressing, uncooked pies, or homemade ice cream. Thoroughly cook raw meat and poultry to destroy the bacteria. Meat, poultry, and hamburgers should be cooked until they are no longer pink in the middle. Storage and Cooking Temperatures Learn more about storage and cooking temperatures Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Be careful when handling animals Always wash hands after contact with farm animals, pets, animal feces, and animal environments.

Minimize contact with animals with a diarrheal illness. What Is Salmonella Infection? A Salmonella infection typically causes: nausea and vomiting abdominal cramps diarrhea sometimes bloody fever headache Salmonella infections usually clear up without medical treatment. Are Salmonella Infections Contagious? Who Is at Risk for Salmonella Infections? People at risk for more serious complications from a Salmonella infection include those who: are very young, especially babies have problems with their immune systems such as people with HIV take cancer-fighting drugs or drugs that affect their immune system have sickle cell disease have an absent or nonfunctioning spleen take chronic stomach acid suppression medicine In these higher-risk groups, most doctors will treat an infection with antibiotics to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.

How Are Salmonella Infections Treated? Can Salmonella Infections Be Prevented? Here are some other ways to protect yourself from Salmonella infections: Cook food thoroughly. Salmonella bacteria are most commonly found in animal products and can be killed by the heat of cooking. Don't serve raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Microwaving is not a reliable way to kill the bacteria. Handle eggs carefully.

Because Salmonella bacteria can contaminate even intact and disinfected grade A eggs, cook them well and avoid serving poached or sunny-side up eggs with runny yolks. Avoid foods that might contain raw ingredients. 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.

Clean cooking surfaces regularly. While animals may transmit salmonella to anyone, there are groups who are at higher risk and should avoid any contact with animals that commonly carry the bacteria. The highest-risk animals are reptiles turtles, iguanas, other lizards, snakes , amphibians frogs, salamanders , and live poultry chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys.

Other animals that may transmit salmonella include pet birds, rodents hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice , hedgehogs, farm animals, dogs, cats, and horses. The bacteria are primarily found in their feces, but their fur, feathers, bedding, toys, food, feeders, cages, or enclosures will also harbor the germs.

These animals can be completely healthy and still carry the bacteria. As keeping chickens and enjoying homegrown eggs is popular, it is important to understand the risks of salmonella from these activities.

It's best not to get your poultry from show breeders or other backyard farmers. Use these tips to avoid getting salmonella:. Use these tips for homegrown egg safety:. Public health departments and the CDC require medical facilities to report cases of salmonellosis so they can identify and track outbreaks. If many cases occur at the same time, it may mean that a restaurant, food, or water supply has a problem which needs correction by the public health department. While many people don't seek medical care for a bout of salmonellosis that runs a typical course, those who do will help with this monitoring for outbreaks.

Information on outbreaks can be seen on the CDC site. Examples of recent outbreaks include those due to shell eggs, coconut, chicken salad, raw sprouts, kratom, pet guinea pigs, and pet turtles. You can drill down to see the specifics for outbreaks. If you hear any news reports of recalls of food due to concern for salmonella or foodborne illnesses, check to see whether you have bought the recalled products. Do not consume them. No, but you can certainly prevent complications from Salmonella poisoning by knowing when the illness requires medical care.

Call your doctor if:. A doctor also should manage the care of infants, people over 65, and anyone who has a weakened immune system or inflammatory bowel disease as soon as Salmonella infection symptoms begin. This could actually encourage the spread of Salmonella , That said, chickens lay eggs from the same orifice they poop out of, so you'll want to scrub off any obvious feces or dirt with gloved hands.

You can use a brush, a cloth, or even very fine sandpaper to do this. Afterwards, store the eggs in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them. By preparing food properly. Certain foods should be cooked to specific temperatures in order to kill any microbes they contain. You can use a food thermometer inserted into the thickest parts of the following to make sure they reach a safe temperatures before you serve them:. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella and Food. Salmonella Infection. United States Department of Agriculture. Keeping Backyard Chickens and Other Poultry. Safe handling tips for eggs from backyard poultry.