A 2018 study by Liu et al found that global infections from salmonella species top 93 million each year, with 155,000 fatalities per year worldwide. In the UK alone, approximately 10,000 people a year contract salmonellosis.
The majority of salmonella cases are non-fatal and only cause mild stomach issues. But salmonella is a real threat and you need to know how, with the right cleaning protocols and products, you can protect yourself and others from infection.
As experts in hygiene, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about the disease and how to prevent the spread of salmonella. Regardless of your industry, the following information is critical if you want to protect customers, patients, or anyone else under your care from this highly infectious bacterial disease.
What Is Salmonella?
Salmonella is a group of bacteria that live in the intestines of humans and animals. This bacterium enters the atmosphere through faecal matter which, if left untreated, can infect all manner of surfaces, including food (see what foods cause salmonella below).
Salmonella infection is known as salmonellosis, although in common parlance the name of the bacteria (salmonella) is often used as a reference to the bacterial infection in people. The symptoms of this disease include fever, stomach pains and diarrhoea.
How Salmonella Works
- Salmonella breeds in the intestines of humans and animals.
- It gets excreted through faecal matter.
- We get exposed to salmonella through micro-traces on surfaces, including food (scroll down to see what foods cause salmonella), as well as water.
- Stomach acid cannot dissolve salmonella that gets into the gut.
- Once it passes through the stomach, it starts destroying the cells that line the intestine.
- The degradation of the intestine makes it harder for your body to absorb water, which causes cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea and other symptoms.
What Foods Cause Salmonella?
We can be exposed to salmonella in a variety of settings, including contaminated water and dirty surfaces. Food is a common carrier of the bacteria, which is why proper cooking processes are important. Some of the foods that typically carry salmonella are:
- Chicken
- Pork
- Beef
- Eggs
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Processed foods, including nut butter and any chicken-based products
What Are the Effects of Salmonella?
Some types of Salmonella bacteria cause typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever which manifests as gastroenteritis, commonly referred to as stomach flu. The common symptoms of gastroenteritis are:
- Stomach (abdominal) cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Fever
Salmonella can also cause more serious symptoms, including:
- Chills
- Headaches
- Blood in the stool
How Does Salmonella Transmit?
Salmonella infections are also easily caused by dirty water, although that is less of a concern in the UK and Europe where we use potable water. But add infections from unsanitary surfaces to the mix and we’re still surrounded by potential transmission points.
How to Control & Prevent Salmonella
Controlling and preventing the spread of salmonella is a two-step process that involves education and action. This article should give you a general understanding of what salmonella is and how it’s transmitted. However, as a business owner or cleaning industry professional, it pays to have a deeper understanding of the disease and, in turn, salmonella prevention methods.
Education
The Salmonella Management in Food Processing course from Diversey is the gold standard in this area. A supplement to the Principles of Hygiene and Sanitation in Food and Beverage Processing course, this module focuses specifically on microbe control. The course material covers advanced topics, including the risks of salmonella at all stages of the food production process, including farming, transit, processing and retail.
This makes the course ideal for anyone in the food industry or related sectors who wants to know more about the dangers of salmonella and how to combat them. Participants who successfully complete the course will be awarded with an advanced qualification recognised by the CPD Certification Service.
Action
Educating yourself and your workforce is important. However, you also need to take practical steps to ensure salmonella doesn’t affect your business. The absolute minimum step any business should take is to ensure all employees understand and practice proper hand hygiene. That means washing their hands thoroughly for a minimum of 30 seconds after any activity that could contaminate their hands, such as engaging in food preparation, cleaning any equipment, working with raw foods, using the toilet and more.
Next, there are cleaning products that defend against salmonella such as TASKI Sani 4 in 1 Plus for washrooms. TASKI Sani 4 in 1 is a super-concentrated washroom cleaning solution that can be used on all acid-resistant surfaces. The cleaning solution cleans, descales and disinfects surfaces, helping stop the spread of salmonella in washrooms.
What’s more, TASKI Sani 4 in 1 contains Diversey’s Odour Neutralising Technology, designed to neutralise unpleasant odours with a lasting effect, to leave your washrooms freshly clean and smelling fresh. Using TASKI Sani 4 in 1 Plus will protect your business from bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal diseases, including Coronavirus, MRSA, Norovirus, and salmonella.
Protect Your Business Against the Threat of Salmonella
Your business is important and the ferocity with which salmonella spreads means you need to protect it. Educating your staff and using advanced cleaning formulas are the best ways to tackle salmonella and ensure your customers don’t become one of the 10,000 affected in the UK every year.