UK salmonella outbreak food-sourced
And according to one leading bacteriologist, the source of these
outbreaks is probably food-based.
A rash of salmonella outbreaks have been reported across the UK. And according to one leading bacteriologist, the source of these outbreaks is probably food-based.
Professor Hugh Pennington told the BBC that the nature of the outbreak of salmonella cases suggested that the outbreak was food-borne. In addition, the existence of an extensive network of food distribution outlets would help explain why cases have been reported up and down the country.
"The fact that we have this wide geographical distribution in some ways makes it easier to trace because it probably means it is not going to be some trivial kind of connection," he said.
"There might be a particular food that turns up or in the past we have seen particular types of restaurant using a particular supplier, where the supplier themselves has not been as good as they should have been about hygiene.
The current incidence of salmonella in the UK is surprising, because the number of overall cases has been dropping steadily for years.
Nonetheless, salmonella is a serious food pathogen.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) reports that salmonella is the second most common cause of food poisoning after campylobacter. It has been found in unpasteurised milk, eggs and raw egg products, meat and poultry.
It can survive if food is not cooked properly. Although thorough cooking will kill the bacteria, cross-contamination of ready-to-eat foods can occur through contaminated utensils and hands. Cross-contamination is one of the major causes of food poisoning.
