Salmonella Outbreak has Illinois Residents on Edge

May 15, 2011 - PRLog -- This weekend it was reported that 13 people across Illinois have been confirmed to have contracted salmonellosis.  The infected people reside in Kane, DuPage and Cook counties and one from Minnesota.  Nine of the thirteen cases ate at a specific restaurant in St. Charles.

Salmonellosis is an infection caused by bacteria known as Salmonella. According to the CDC, every year, approximately 40,000 cases of the illness are reported in the United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be thirty or more times greater.

Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. However, in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can even cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Because foods of animal origin may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry or meat. Raw eggs may be unrecognized in some foods, such as homemade Hollandaise sauce, Caesar and other homemade salad dressings, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, homemade mayonnaise, cookie dough, and frostings. Poultry and meat, including hamburgers, should be well-cooked, not pink in the middle. People also should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products and produce should always be thoroughly washed.

“Cross-contamination of foods needs to be avoided,” reported Paul Cochrane, President of Cochrane and Associates, the company behind the IAQ Video Network who recently produced a video on the bacteria.  “Uncooked meats should be kept separate from produce, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods. Hands, cutting boards, counters, knives and other utensils should also be washed thoroughly after touching uncooked foods,” he continued.

To view a public outreach video about Salmonella please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v59mjWwJZ8



To learn more please visit http://www.cochraneassoc.com or http://www.IAQTV.com, email info@cochraneassoc.com or call (602)510-3179.

# # #

About Cochrane & Associates, LLC & the IAQ Video Network
Cochrane & Associates is a business development, public relations and marketing consulting firm that specializes in the environmental, HVAC, mold and indoor air quality industries. The company has worked with many of the industries’ leading institutions and companies and continues to be an innovator in the industry. They are also the innovators behind the IAQ Video Network.