Each year, 1.3 million people are infected with one of the 2,300 types of salmonella in the United States. The report, released recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also revealed that the problem hospitalizes about 23,000 people and kills 450 annually. After the sudden cases increase, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigates 22 types of recent bacterial infections in the country.

The entity announced this month the withdrawal of more than 200 million eggs possibly contaminated from US supermarket chains. The two most common types found in the country are Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium, responsible for about half of human infections, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

This type of bacteria can lead to death in a few hours. Eggs and dairy products are one of the most common sources of foodborne illness. But salmonella infections – which cause a disease known as salmonellosis – also come from the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, and eggs, as well as fruits, vegetables, spices, and nuts, among others. Some people also get sick interacting with animals, especially reptiles, amphibians, and birds.

Children, especially under the age of five, are at greater risk. But the diseases caused by these infections are more severe in infants, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system. Infected individuals may have severe diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, malaise, dehydration, chills, and severe fever. The symptoms usually appear between 12 and 48 hours after ingestion and disappear after three or four days, but the bacteria can continue in the body.

Dr. Melina Bonato, ICC Brazil’s R&D coordinator, explains that when they are present in the gut of infected animals, they can contaminate the meat, eggs or milk through feces or excreta. “In laying hens, eggs can be infected through two different forms: contaminated excreta – because salmonella colonizes the cecum and then the eggshell since it is porous , or by internal contamination of the egg since salmonella can go from the gut to the ovaries, contaminating the gem” explains Melina. Also, the transmission also occurs with poor personal hygiene: when an infected person does not wash their hands or do not wear gloves when handling food.

The care begins in animal feed

With the withdrawal or decreased use of antibiotics in the animals’ diet, one of the options for controlling salmonella are the additives that may help to reduce the incidence of this bacterium. Worldwide, countless researches are done on the subject to solve or reduce the problem.

In 2016 ICC Brazil conducted a study focused on this subject in partnership with the Southern Poultry Research Group, in the United States. Dr. Charles Hofacre, analyzed 192 laying hens contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis and the effectiveness of ImmunoWall® in reducing the problem in poultry.

“In this study, laying hens fed a diet supplemented with ImmunoWall® showed a statistical reduction in cecal contamination of Salmonella enteritidis, compared with the untreated control group. The result was obtained with the recommended standard dosage of the product. This sharp decrease in cecal infection is a determinant factor about food safety, as it consequently reduces the contagion on the egg’s surface. After the laying, the cooling begins in which the bacteria of the surface migrate towards the interior through the pores of the eggshell. Thereby, the less contamination of the surface by Salmonella enteritidis the less the infection inside the egg”, analyzes the R&D coordinator.

About ICC Brazil

For 25 years ICC Brazil unites research and biotechnology, performing experiments that prove the benefits of yeast-based additives in several animal species. With a strict quality control and monitoring all stages of manufacturing, it provides innovative solutions that target animal health and performance as well as food safety. ICC Brazil is present in about 50 countries.