VANCOUVER , BC – Over the past few months, British Columbia has seen a steady increase in cases of a particular strain of Salmonella, with the vast majority of these being reported in the lower mainland.
“In the past two months, we have seen over 56 cases of infection, all due to the same strain of Salmonella,” explains Dr. Colette Gaulin, Physician Epidemiologist with the BC Centre for Disease Control, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. “We have not identified a common source associated with these infections; however, it is well known that the two most important risk factors for Salmonella are the consumption of eggs and chicken.”
Salmonella are naturally-occurring bacteria found in the intestines of animals, particularly poultry, cattle and swine. Salmonella can contaminate meat, eggs and raw fruits and vegetables. Symptoms of Salmonella infection may include fever, headache, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and sometimes vomiting. These symptoms commonly occur 12 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food or water, and can be serious for young children, elderly people, and those with weak immune systems.
“The possibility of becoming ill from Salmonella can be eliminated almost completely with proper food handling and cooking practices, and purchasing good quality foods ,” explains Lynn Wilcott, A/Director of Food Protection Services at the BCCDC. “Eggs should be clean, not cracked and refrigerated when you purchase them.”
To prevent food borne illness, including Salmonella, the BCCDC reminds British Columbians to buy food that is clean and of good quality, and to follow the C’s of Food Safety:
- CLEAN: wash hands with soap (minimum of 20 seconds), and wash produce and food preparation surfaces;
- Don’t CROSS CONTAMINATE: do not use the same utensils, plates or cutting boards for raw meat and raw vegetables or cooked meat; and be sure to wash your hands well after handling raw meat, poultry and eggs before doing anything else in the kitchen;
- COOK: eggs until they are no longer runny, and meat (including poultry and dishes containing eggs) should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 74°C. Foods that contain raw unpasteurized eggs or uncooked foods containing raw unpasteurized eggs should be avoided;
- CHILL: refrigerate food promptly.
If you have symptoms compatible with Salmonella infection, call the 24-hour BC Healthlink at 811, contact a family physician, or view the BC HealthFiles on Salmonella and Food Safety at http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/searchhealth.stm.
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