NAME: Salmonella spp. (excluding S. typhi, S. choleraesuis, and S. paratyphi)
SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Salmonellosis
CHARACTERISTICS: Family Enterobacteriaceae; gram negative rod; motile, aerobic and facultatively anaerobic; serological identification of somatic and flagellar antigens; over 2000 serotypes capable of causing disease
PATHOGENICITY: Salmonellosis is an acute gastroenteritis; acute infectious disease with sudden onset of abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting; dehydration may be severe in infants and elderly; deaths are uncommon except in very young or very old or debilitated/immunocompromised; morbidity may be high; food borne disease; may progress to more serious septicemia, includes focal infections, abscesses, endocarditis, pneumonia; may also cause typhoid like enteric fever; some cases develop reactive arthritis (Reiter's syndrome) which may become chronic
EPIDEMIOLOGY: 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, most go unreported; S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium are the most common in North America
HOST RANGE: Humans; domestic and wild animals, birds
INFECTIOUS DOSE: 100 - 1,000 organisms - ingestion; varies with multiple factors
MODE OF TRANSMISSION: By ingestion of directly or indirectly contaminated food, from infected animals or food by infected animal or person; from animal feeds and fertilizers prepared from contaminated meat scraps; fecal-oral transmission from person to person; direct contact with pets such as reptiles, birds, turtles, tortoises
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
RESERVOIR: Humans - patients and carriers; domestic and wild animals - poultry (S. enteriditis), swine (S. choleraesuis), cattle, rodents, horses (S. dublin); pets - tortoises, turtles, chicks, dogs, cats; some strains associated with specific animal reservoir
ZOONOSIS: Yes - direct or indirect contact with animals (most are via ingestion); pets especially birds, reptiles, turtles tortoises
VECTORS: None
DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Sensitive to ampicillin, amoxicilllin, TMP-SMX, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones; many strains are antibiotic, or multi-drug resistant; drug susceptibility testing must be performed
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to many disinfectants - 1% sodium hypochlorite, 70% ethanol, 2% glutaraldehyde, iodines, phenolics, formaldehyde
PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Sensitive to moist heat (121° C for at least 15 min) and dry heat (160-170° C for at least 1 hour)
SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Survives for long periods in the environment
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
IMMUNIZATION: None
PROPHYLAXIS: Not usually administered
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
CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices, containment equipment and facilities for activities with clinical materials known or potentially infected and cultures
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Laboratory coat; gloves when contact with infected materials is unavoidable
OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Good personal hygiene and frequent hand washing
SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, gently cover spill with paper towels and apply 1% sodium hypochlorite starting at perimeter and working towards the centre; allow sufficient contact time (30 min) before clean up
DISPOSAL: Decontaminate before disposal; steam sterilization, chemical disinfection
STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labelled
Date prepared: March, 2001
Prepared by: Office of Laboratory Security, PHAC
Although the information, opinions and recommendations contained in this Material Safety Data Sheet are compiled from sources believed to be reliable, we accept no responsibility for the accuracy, sufficiency, or reliability or for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information. Newly discovered hazards are frequent and this information may not be completely up to date.
Copyright ©
Health Canada, 2001