Salmonella: germs that make you sick

Dirty floors, grease spills and dirt – we usually feel disgusted by them. But the real hygiene problems are invisible. These include, for example, pathogens that spread through food. Listeria, EHEC or salmonella.

How is salmonella transmitted?

Salmonella is mainly found in agricultural animals – cattle, pigs or poultry. The pathogen usually doesn’t bother you. Animal foods produced from them are problematic. Salmonella infection is a classic foodborne infection because pathogens enter the human body through food. Insufficiently heated eggs, dishes using raw eggs such as ice cream, mayonnaise or tiramisu, as well as raw or undercooked meat can be the cause of illness.

But contaminated surfaces or food that has been “infected” by infected food can also cause illness. Dangerous pathogens can be transferred to uncooked foods—such as salads—via knives, bowls, and cutting boards.

Person-to-person transmission of salmonella is also possible. The risk of infection lasts on average one month for adults, seven weeks or more for young children – and significantly longer for children with severe cases. The pathogen is spread through feces.

What are the symptoms of a salmonella infection?

Symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhea, headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and weakness. A mild fever may also occur. The incubation period is 6 to 72 hours, but generally 12 to 36 hours, so that Robert Koch Institute (RKI). This depends on the form of the many different types of salmonella and how high the “dose” was.

Is a salmonella infection dangerous?

For children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, illnesses due to loss of fluids and salts can be more serious and, in extreme cases, fatal.

How is salmonella treated?

Symptoms usually last several days and go away on their own. It is important to maintain electrolyte and fluid balance. In severe cases, salmonella infections are treated with antibiotics. But many poultry salmonella are now resistant to at least one antibiotic.

How does antibiotic resistance arise?

The many tons Antibiotics, which are fed annually in industrial agriculture in Germany, are a danger to humans and animals. Resistant bacteria also grow in animals and we eat them along with meat. They then directly endanger us when treated with antibiotics. In 2018, the Federal Council approved a regulation with stricter regulations for the use of antibiotics in livestock farming. This also applies to the use of so-called reserve antibiotics. Backup antibiotics are used when normal antibiotics no longer work and should be reserved for people.

How can you avoid a salmonella infection?

To avoid salmonella infection, the only thing that helps is: cooking, peeling or avoiding – then you will be safe. To live, salmonella needs temperatures between 10 and 47 degrees, sometimes 6 to 8 degrees is enough. At higher temperatures they die, at lower temperatures they hardly reproduce. Salmonella is stubborn. They can survive in the environment and in food for several months. Freezing does not kill pathogens.

Tips for handling food

• Meat, especially ground beef and poultry, should be kept in the refrigerator and fried or cooked before consumption. To reliably kill salmonella, the inside of a piece of meat must be at 80 degrees Celsius for more than 20 minutes. When heating, it must be at least 70 degrees.
• Foods rich in protein and water are particularly popular with dangerous bacteria. That’s why you should place the following foods in the coldest corner of your refrigerator: raw meats and sausages, slaughtered poultry, sea animals, eggs, creams, salads and mayonnaise with raw eggs.
• Set the refrigerator temperature to a maximum of 4 degrees and clean the interior several times a year.
• Also store food in the refrigerator in closed or completely covered containers.
• It is best to thaw frozen poultry, game and meat in a clean bowl in the refrigerator. Important: Remove the packaging first! Immediately discard the melt water and thoroughly clean anything that has come into contact with it with hot water.
• When preparing raw meat, fish and salad, wash your hands thoroughly with soap before and after and always use a new cutting board and knife.
• Store opened food packages in the refrigerator and consume within a few days.
• In summer temperatures, it’s best to only buy small amounts of perishable foods at a time. Bring a cooler bag and head to the refrigerated counter as your last stop before checkout.
• Remove fish or potato salads, as well as garnished platters and sandwiches, from the refrigerator shortly before serving – and eat them immediately, if possible. The same applies to cold cuts made from sausage, cheese and ham.
• For anything made with raw eggs, such as tiramisu or custard dishes, you should only use very fresh eggs. Don’t store the finished dish in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. You should boil eggs for breakfast in boiling water for at least five minutes.

Hygiene in the kitchen

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap – before and after Kitchen work as well as between individual work processes – reduces the risk of salmonella infection.
• If you have open wounds on your hands, for example from a cut, you should definitely wear a waterproof plaster or rubber glove.
• Clean countertops well and rinse with water before and after preparing meals.
• Change cloths, sponges and towels regularly and wash them at at least 60 degrees – or use disposable cloths for cleaning. Use separate cloths for dishes and work surfaces.
• Also regularly clean door handles, taps, refrigerator and dishwasher handles and other frequently touched surfaces.
• Remove food residue with disposable kitchen paper.
• Never use the same cooking utensils to handle raw and cooked foods.
• Empty trash cans regularly and clean them once a week.