8 Salmonellosis
8.1 Epidemiologic Review
8.1.1 Disease Information
Overview: Salmonellosis is an infectious disease caused by the Salmonella bacteria. It is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the U.S.
Symptoms: Common symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 to 72 hours after infection.
Transmission: Transmission occurs by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Salmonella bacteria is also spread by direct contact with an infected person or animal.
Treatment: Most cases recover without treatment. However, small children, the elderly, and those with severe diarrhea should see a doctor for treatment options.
Prevention Prevention methods include washing hands after contact with animals and before eating, drinking only pasteurized milk, avoiding untreated water, and cooking food to temperature.
8.1.2 Demographics
| Race | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Asian, Non Hispanic | 23 |
| Black or African American, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.9 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Non Hispanic | 30.2 |
| Other Race, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Two or More Races, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Unknown Race and Ethnicity | <5 cases |
| Unknown, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| White, Non Hispanic | 18 |
Rates for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Non Hispanic were twice as high as the rates for the overall population average.
Rates for American Indian or Alaska Native, Non Hispanic, Black or African American, Non Hispanic, Other Race, Non Hispanic, Two or More Races, Non Hispanic, Unknown Race and Ethnicity, and Unknown, Non Hispanic are not displayed due to low case counts.
8.1.3 Outbreaks
- In November, 25 people became ill after an event catered by a local restaurant. An additional 5 restaurant patrons, not part of catered event, also became ill. The pathogen was confirmed as Salmonella Enteritidis and was linked to improper cold holding of washed lettuce.
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In April, 15 people became ill after attending a family party. It was discovered that two, cooked, ready-to-eat, whole pigs had been purchased from a local market for the event. The pathogen was confirmed as Salmonella Serovar [4, [5], 12; I; -] in both the confirmed cases and the pork sample. Improper cooking methods were identified that likely left the pig undercooked.
*Additional details of the above 2 outbreaks at food establishment are recorded in the Notable Outbreaks 2023 section. - In April, 5 people became ill after eating at a local food establishment. 2 cases were confirmed as Salmonella Typhimurium. Issues with date marking of food were identified and corrected.
- In September, 18 people became ill after eating at a Salt Lake County restaurant. The pathogen was identified as Salmonella Enteritidis. 2 employees were identified as having called out sick due to GI symptoms during the exposure period.
- Between March and August, 11 Utah cases (including 1 in Salt Lake County) were identified as being part of a national outbreak of Salmonella with serotypes Braenderup, Enteritidis, Indiana, Infantis, Mbandaka, and Typhimurium. Epidemiologic traceback concluded that contact with backyard poultry was causing the illnesses.
- Beginning in June, 5 Utah cases were epidemiologically linked to a national outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (3 in Salt Lake County & 2 in Utah County). The majority of cases had egg and/or chicken exposures, but a single product was not identified.
- In July, 2 Salt Lake County residents were linked to a national outbreak of Salmonella Hadar. This reoccurring, emerging, and persisting Hadar strain has caused illnesses linked to contact with backyard poultry and food turkey products since 2020.
- Between July and September, 19 Utah cases (10 in Salt Lake County) were identified as part of a national Salmonella Thompson outbreak linked to onions. This outbreak had a concerning 25% hospitalization rate, and 1 death reported in Wisconsin.
- Between October and December, 12 Utah cases (5 in Salt Lake County) were identified as part of a national Salmonella outbreak. This was a multi-serotype outbreak including Salmonella Sundsvall and Salmonella Oranienburg. FDA traceback concluded that cantaloupes from a farm in Sonora, Mexico were the vehicle for illness and several recalls were issued.
There were 9 Salmonella outbreaks in 2023 involving Salt Lake County residents. 67 cases (28%) were included in these outbreaks. 4 outbreaks were in Salt Lake County food establishments. 6 outbreaks were national outbreaks that included Salt Lake County residents.
8.1.4 Monthly and Historical Comparisons
2023 had the highest rate of salmonellosis in the previous 5 years.
Data for Utah and the CDC were retrieved from the CDC’s Notifiable Infectious Disease Data Tables .