Salmonella

Symptoms include a general feeling of illness, diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain, high fever and sometimes vomiting. First symptoms can take up to 4 days from the eating of contaminated food, but is more usually 12 - 48 hours. This illness normally lasts 3 weeks but can last longer.

Where does it come from and how does it spread?

One of the most common causes of food poisoning in the UK, of which there are several types. This infection is caused by large numbers of bacteria living on food. Salmonella is commonly found in cows and raw milk, poultry, pigs, pets and wild animals. The spread is mainly food borne via raw or undercooked food (e.g. poultry) or milk, and it can occasionally come directly from infected animals including household pets. Person to person spread can also occur.
The bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature therefore refrigeration is necessary for high risk foods such as cooked meat and dairy products. The separation of raw, and cooked / ready to eat foods is essential.
Salmonella is easily killed by heat therefore the risk lies in the consumption of raw foods, inadequately cooked foods or cooked/ ready to eat foods which have been contaminated either as a result of poor handling, storage or the use of dirty utensils.