SECTION I - INFECTIOUS AGENT

Name: Salmonella spp. (excluding S. typhi, S. choleraesuis, and S. paratyphi)

SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Salmonellosis

CHARACTERISTICS: Gram negative rod; motile, aerobic, facultative anaerobe; serological identification of somatic and flagellar antigens.

SECTION II - HEALTH HAZARD

PATHOGENICITY: Acute gastroenteritis; acute infectious disease with sudden onset of abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting; dehydration may be severe in infants; deaths are uncommon except in very young or very old or debilitated; morbidity may be high; foodborne disease. Although uncommon may be a cause of bacteremia; especially in immunocompromised individuals.

EPIDEMIOOLOGY: Worldwide, more extensively in North America and Europe; higher incidence rate for infants and young children; small outbreaks in general population; large outbreaks in hospitals, institutions, nursing homes, restaurants; 2-3 million infections annually in USA.

HOST RANGE: Humans; domestic and wild animals.


INFECTIOUS DOSE: 1066- 1088 organisms.

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: By ingestion of food from infected animals or food contaminated by feces of an infected animal or person; from animal feeds and fertilizers prepared from contaminated meat scraps; fecal-oral transmission from person to person.

INCUBATION PERIOD: Six to 72 hours, usually about 12-36 hours.

COMMUNICABILITY: Communicable throughout course of infection; several days to several weeks; temporary carriers can continue for several months; antibiotic therapy can prolong period of communicability; 1% of infected adults and 5% of infected children excrete organism for over 1 year.

SECTION III - DISSEMINATION

RESERVOIR: Humans: patients and carriers; domestic and wild animals: poultry, swine, cattle, rodents, horses; pets - tortoises, turtles, chicks, dogs, cats.

ZOONOSIS: Yes - direct or indirect contact with animals (most are via ingestion).

VECTORS: None

SECTION IV - VIABILITY

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Sensitive to ampicillin, amoxicillin, TMP-SMX, chloramphenicol.

SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to many disinfectants - 1% sodium hypochlorite (20% commercial bleach), 70% ethanol, 2% glutaraldehyde, iodines, phenolics, formaldehyde.

PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Sensitive to moist heat (121o C for at least 15 min.) and dry heat (160o - 170o C for at least 1 hour).

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Survives for long periods in the environment.

SECTION V - MEDICAL

SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for gastrointestinal symptoms; confirm by stool culture, isolation from blood during acute stages.

FIRST AID/TREATMENT: For enterocolitis - rehydration and electrolyte replacement; for enteric fever or septicemia - antibiotic therapy (typically with ciprofloxacin).

IMMUNIZATION: None

PROPHYLAMS: Not usually administered.

SECTION VI - LABORATORY HAZARDS

LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: 48 reported laboratory infections with Salmonella spp.

SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Feces, blood, urine; food, feed and environmental materials.


PRIMARY HAZARDS: Ingestion, parenteral inoculation; importance of aerosol exposure not known.


SPECIAL HAZARDS: None

SECTION VII - RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS

CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices, containment equipment and facilities for activities with clinical materials known or potentially infected and cultures.

PROTECTIVE CLOTHNG: Laboratory coat; gloves when contact with infected materials is unavoidable.


OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Good personal hygiene and frequent hand washing.

SECTION VIII - HANDLING INFORMATION

SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, gently cover spill with paper towels and apply 1% sodium hypochlorite (20% commercial bleach), starting at perimeter and working towards the center; allow sufficient contact time (30 min) before clean up.

DISPOSAL: Decontaminate before disposal; steam sterilization, chemical disinfection.

STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labeled.

Date prepared: October 11, 1997 Prepared by: Canadian Office of Biosafety Information edited by the Colorado State University Office of Biosafety; June 16, 1998.

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