A Salmonella outbreak in Dahlhart, Texas has sickened at least a dozen people some of whom have been hospitalized. Health officials have not yet determined the source of the outbreak which began several weeks ago.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually develop between 12 and 72 hours after exposure and last up to a week. They include diarrhea, which can be bloody, nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps. Dehydration is a risk. In a small percentage of cases, the infection travels to the bloodstream producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.
Salmonella sickens about 1.2 million Americans every year. Of those, 19,000 are hospitalized and about 380 die.
To reduce your risk of Salmonella infection the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cooking poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly and refraining from eating or drinking foods containing raw eggs, or unpasteurized milk or fruit juice.
Contact with animals and their food can also be a source of Salmonella infection. Always wash hands thoroughly after feeding a pet or handling reptiles and birds.
