Salmonellosis

Causes and symptoms of salmonellosis

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What is salmonellosis?

Salmonellosis – polietiologic infectious disease that cause various bacteria group, Salmonella (family Enterobacteriaceae of the genus Salmonella). The disease can occur without symptoms, and in severe septic forms. It affects mainly the gastrointestinal tract, causing gastroenteritis, colitis and other related diseases.

Coli Salmonella pathogenic for animals and for people, and typically can survive in the environment for a long time: up to five months in the water in the meat to four months, in milk for about 20 days, kefir – two months in the cheese – up to a year, eggs – about nine months in the ground about 18 months. It is noteworthy that in meat and dairy sticks Salmonella are able to multiply without affecting the appearance and taste of products.

The disease is widespread in all regions of the world, especially in developed countries and large cities.

Causes of salmonellosis

Pathogen and a major cause of salmonellosis in are coli Salmonella. The main factors of their pathogenicity – endotoxin lipopolysacharide nature and choleriform enterotoxin.

The infection can spread animals, birds and the people themselves. Special danger is represented by cattle, Pets and waterfowl. The main modes of transmission – food, water and contact-household. Often coli Salmonella enter the body by meat and dairy products. The number of infection with Salmonella is greatly increased in summer, when the worsening in the terms of food storage.

After coli Salmonella fall on the mucous membrane of the small intestine, they start to secrete a toxin that damages the intestinal mucosa. This leads to disruption of the digestive tract: diarrhea, abdominal pain, dehydration.

Symptoms of salmonellosis

There are several clinical forms of salmonellosis, each of which has its own characteristics of flow.

1. Gastrointestinal form is the most common and accounts for 96-98% of all cases. She is accompanied by gastritis, gastroenteritis or gastroenterocolitis.

Onset of the disease is characterized by fever (up to 39 °C), General weakness, headache, chills, nausea and vomiting, pain instomach, disorder of stool (loose stools from 5 to 10 times a day or more). Symptoms depending on the severity of the disease. In severe salmonellosis, the diarrhea lasts 7 days and more, there is repeated vomiting, loss of body fluid. Intoxication and dehydration lead to cyanosis, tachycardia, decrease of arterial pressure, may develop acute renal failure.

2. Generalized form (tipofday option) usually has an acute onset. Among her first symptoms – disorders of stool, increase in temperature and General intoxication. After a couple of days of the disease dysfunction of the intestine takes place, but the fever remains the same, and symptoms of intoxication are increasing. Patients with marked apathy, lethargy, pallor of the skin, the abdomen may appear rash, liver and spleen increase, the belly swells.

3. Generalized septic form is the most severe variant of salmonellosis. The body temperature of patients varies greatly, there chills, heavy sweating. Septic foci may occur in other organs, so the clinical symptoms of this form of the disease is very diverse, it is difficult to diagnose and it is difficult to treat. With the development of purulent lesions in the locomotor system develop osteomyelitis and arthritis; often caused lymphadenitis, meningitis, tonsillitis, aorta, endocarditis.

Septic form of salmonellosis can take quite a long time and can result in death, especially for infants and the elderly.

4. Bacteriocarrier of – form, characterized by the absence of clinical symptoms. To diagnose it is possible only if bacteriological and serological examinations. There are several categories of bacteria: acute, chronic, and transient.

Sharp carrier lasts from 15 days to three months and there after transferred manifesting forms of salmonellosis. If coli Salmonella allocated more than three months, the carrier becomes chronic. A transient carrier state is diagnosed if Salmonella has been found once or twice after a previous negative result studies.

5. Subclinical form of salmonellosis is characterized by the presence of Salmonella in the faecal analysis simultaneously with the release protivogololodnych antibodies. This form occurs without clinical manifestations.

Treatment of salmonellosis

In severe course of the disease and salmonellosis of moderate severity patientsbe hospitalized. In milder forms, patients are treated at home. Therapy is restricted to gastric lavage, the appointment saline solutions and a special diet.

The average severity of salmonellosis is often accompanied by repeated vomiting. In such cases, solutions are administered intravenously, preventing dehydration. The higher the degree of dehydration, the greater must be the amount of fluid.

A severe form of the course of salmonellosis requires intensive therapy. In addition to the intravenous injections used drugs to help normalize the intestinal flora; it is mandatory treatment of opportunistic diseases.

Often, after recovery, people still could not get rid of the symptoms of dysbiosis (stool disorders, pain abdomen etc.).

To prevent the development of salmonellosis, it is necessary to strictly observe the sanitary regime. This is especially true of the food industry and food service establishments. Personal hygiene and the terms of compliance of food products also play an important role.