How can you tell if you've had salmonella poisoning

asks PDTV:
A. Salmonella is a common cause of food poisoning: last year there were almost 15,000 reported cases, and many more that went unreported.

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Q. How do you get salmonella poisoning
A. There are 2000 types of salmonella, found mainly in raw meat, poultry, untreated milk and eggs. Food becomes contaminated after raw meat comes into contact with cooked food, for example. This can happen if you use the same chopping board for both, or if uncooked food drips on to cooked food in the fridge. Even something as insignificant as washing up can cause salmonella poisoning, according to food safety expert Professor Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen University. He claims that mixing chopping boards with plates and cutlery in a washing up bowl could cause contamination.

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Q. What are the symptoms
A. The symptoms are the same, whichever type of salmonella you get: 12 to 24 hours after you've been infected, you'll get a headache, feel nauseous, have diarrhoea and abdominal pain, and sometimes shivering and a fever. A laboratory test will confirm that it is salmonella.

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Q. How long does it last
A. Two or three days for most people, but sometimes it can be longer. Certain people (elderly, very young and those with lowered immune systems) may get it severely. In very bad cases, salmonella can get into the bloodstream and cause septicaemia (blood poisoning).

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Q. Who is most likely to get it
A. Not everyone who eats something contaminated with salmonella becomes ill. It depends on such things as how badly the food was contaminated and how healthy you are. The acidity of your stomach has an effect, too - you're more likely to succumb if you use antacids.

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Q. What should you do about it
A. The best treatment is lots of fluids, but no food for 24 hours. Severe cases and babies may need a drip to replace fluids.

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Q. Has all the publicity about food poisoning made any difference
A. Yes, cases of salmonella have fallen to their lowest level in 15 years. The Salmonella Reference Unit at the Public Health Laboratory Service�attributes the drop to the successful vaccination of poultry flocks. But there's bad news, too.

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Q. What's that
A. There is a new salmonella superbug (Salmonella typhimurium DT104) which is resistant to commonly used antibiotics. It's thought to come from fast food. Most of the infections have only caused a nasty case of diarrhoea, but complications can occur and one person died after developing septicaemia.

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By Sheena Miller

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