[Click! Health] Beware of Salmonella Infection Surging in Hot Weather

77% of Salmonella Food Poisoning Cases in the Past 5 Years Caused by Egg Products

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] As the summer season begins in earnest, an environment conducive to the proliferation of Salmonella bacteria has been created. Salmonella bacteria are food poisoning bacteria widely spread in poultry such as eggs and chickens, and they grow best at 37℃. Salmonella infection is an acute gastroenteritis caused by infection with typhoidal Salmonella bacteria.

The routes of Salmonella infection are diverse. First, infection can occur by eating contaminated food, such as raw eggs, undercooked eggs, or contaminated meat. Infection is also possible through contact with infected animals or the surrounding environment. Additionally, Salmonella infection can be transmitted via fecal-oral routes from patients with Salmonella infection.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Salmonella food poisoning has affected 6,838 patients over the past five years since 2017. Among them, 77% of cases were caused by foods containing eggs, so special caution is required when consuming eggs.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection appear 6 to 72 hours after infection and include cramping abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and headache. Diarrhea may persist for several days, potentially leading to dehydration. Rarely, invasive Salmonella infections may spread to urine, blood, bones, joints, brain, and the central nervous system.

Most infected patients are known to recover within 5 to 7 days. Patients with severe diarrhea or symptoms, or those at risk of complications such as infants, elderly people over 65, and immunocompromised individuals, are treated with antibiotics. Additionally, all patients should maintain adequate hydration to prevent dehydration.

To prevent infection in advance, it is important to wash hands after going outside or before preparing food. When washing hands, use soap or hand sanitizer under running water and wash for at least 30 seconds.

Food hygiene rules should also be followed during cooking. It is recommended to fully cook foods such as eggs and poultry. Also, using separate cooking utensils for different ingredients can prevent infection caused by cross-contamination.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.