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What is Salmonella enteritidis?
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Salmonella Enteritidis is a bacterium that causes an infection in humans called salmonellosis. Eggs are frequently associated with the illness.
The infectious dose can be relatively small; 100 to 1,000 organisms are enough to cause the infection in some people. Food prepared from infected animals, insufficiently cooked and food contaminated prior to consumption are the principal causes of infection. Fecal-oral transmission between people is also considered a source of infection.
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Where is Salmonella enteritidis found?
Salmonella are natural inhabitants of the human intestines. S. Enteritidis, is isolated from the intestines of animals (especially, poultry and swine), birds and reptiles. It can also be present in the environment.
  
What environmental conditions is it able to survive?
S. Enteritidis grows best at temperatures between 30° and 37°C. It can survive but grows slowly at temperatures as low as 7°C or as high as 49°C. It can also tolerate acid or alkaline conditions with a range of pH from 3.8 to 9.5; its optimal pH is 7.5. S. Enteritidis grows best in the presence of oxygen; nevertheless it can grow although slowly in the absence of oxygen. It can survive very well for prolonged periods in some food systems, such as in butter held at -23°C for more than 10 weeks, and on the surface of refrigerated vegetables 28 days.
What foods are involved?
 Salmonellosis is usually associated with uncooked foods from animal sources such as:
Eggs and egg products
Meat and meat products
Poultry
Unpasteurized milk and other unpasteurized dairy products
What is the duration and onset of illness?
Salmonellosis has a relatively short incubation time. The onset of the illness is about 6-48 hours (average 12 hours) when eating a contaminated food. The duration of the infection is generally up to 7 days. Individuals usually shed these bacteria for about two weeks after the infection.
Healthy adults and children are at risk for salmonellosis, but the severity of the illness may be significantly increased for groups at risk such as the elderly, infants, and persons with impaired immune systems. In these persons, a relatively small number of Salmonella bacteria can cause severe illness.
What are the symptoms of illness?
The most common symptoms reported from those suffering from salmonellosis include:
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Headache
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.
Some people infected with Salmonella may not develop symptoms of illness; however, these people are carriers of this bacterium and may spread the infection to others.
What can you do to prevent or control S. enteritidis infection?
- Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, meat or seafood. Use pasteurized egg products for recipes that call for raw eggs, such as mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, ice cream etc.
- Cook all meats thoroughly. Cook poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, goose) to an internal temperature of 74˚C (165˚F) for pieces and ground poultry/meat mixtures, and to 85oC (185oF) for whole birds. Cook red meats (beef, veal, pork, lamb) and ground red meat/meat mixtures to 71˚C (160˚F); whole red meat cuts and pieces that have not been pierced may be cooked medium-rare to 63°C (145°F). Cook leftovers and other items to an internal temperature of 74˚C (165˚F).
- Cook eggs thoroughly; until the yolk is firm. Cook foods that contain eggs to an internal temperature of at least 74˚C (165˚F).
- Cook shellfish thoroughly.
- Cool foods quickly and refrigerate promptly at temperatures below 4.0˚C (40˚F). Leaving food out at room temperature increases bacterial growth.
- Beware of cross-contamination. Keep raw foods separate from cooked or ready to eat foods; never put cooked meat back on the same plate that held raw food.
- Wash hands, kitchen surfaces, utensils and cutting boards frequently; especially after handling raw meat and poultry.
- Marinate meats in the refrigerator and do not re-use marinades used for raw meat on cooked meat.
- Buy pasteurized milk, juices and cider or heat them to at least 74˚C (165˚F) before consuming.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Always wash them after going to the washroom, changing soiled diapers or handling pets.
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially those consumed raw, under running water.
Information Sources:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2008). Salmonella. Retrieved from, http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/salmonellae.shtml
United States Food and Drug Administration. (2007). Bad Bug Book: Salmonella spp. Retrieved form, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap1.html
MedicineNet.com (2007). Salmonella. Retrieved from, http://www.medicinenet.com/salmonella/article.htm
United States Department of Agriculture. (2006). Salmonella: Questions and Answers. Retrieved from, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Salmonella_Questions_&_Answers/index.asp#1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2005). Salmonella Enteridis. Retrieved from, http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/salmonellosis_gi.html
New Zealand Food Safety Authority. (2001). Microbial Pathogen Data Sheets: Non-typhoid Salmonella. Retrieved from, http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/science/data-sheets/non-typhoid-salmonellae.pdf
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