Salmonella inevitability

Stool cultures inevitably yield the causative organism, if obtained early. However, recovery of organisms continues to decrease with time so that by 3 to 4 weeks, only 5% to 15% of adult patients are passing Salmonella. 

Inevitably, the infrequent isolation of true pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. and the reporting of associated infections following the use of products contaminated with these organisms (tablets, pancreatin and thyroid extract), have attracted considerable attention. More often, the isolation of common saprophytic and non-fastidious opportunist contaminants with limited pathogenicity to healthy individuals has presented a significant challenge to compromised patients. 

Stool cultures inevitably yield the causative organism if obtained early (i.e., in patients hospitalized less than 3 days). Recovery of organisms continues to decrease with time so that by 3 to 4 weeks, only 5% to 15% of adult patients are passing Salmonella. Infants and children tend to pass bacteria for longer periods than adults. Some patients may continue to shed Salmonella for a year or longer. These chronic carrier states are rare for serotypes other than Typhi. ... 

Lower dose treatments, often referred to as pasteurization doses, have shown much more promise. In particular, doses sufficiently low to cause no significant odor and flavor change in the food are adequate to eliminate the hazards to health associated with salmonella and nematode contamination. For example, the irradiation of frozen meat, whole egg and egg products used in baking, and high protein animal foodstuffs is under active investigation as a means of elimination of salmonellae. At the moment, however, this cannot be classed as an industrial application, since only a few tons have been irradiated in pilot experiments.The shelf-life of white fish kept on ice has been considerably extended by small doses of radiation, and in the United States a full-scale plant for the irradiation of fish has recently been completed. Fish remain an underused protein resource available for the underdeveloped countries, and a big expansion in fish consumption is likely if the world s protein requirements are to be met. Inevitably, the development of fish resources must go hand in hand with satisfactory transportation in view of the relatively limited shelf-life... 

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