Prevention What Is Salmonella Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 10 December 2021 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Prevention What Is Salmonella Humans can contract salmonella bacteria by eating dairy or meat from an infected animal, or even by touching an infected pet, say Cedars-Sinai experts. Photo by Getty Images. WhiteBoxStudio Unit 19 6-8 Herbert Street St Leonards NSW Australia 2069 Prevention recently spoke with Mark Pimentel, MD, associate professor of Gastroenterology and program director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology program at Cedars-Sinai, about the foodborne illness salmonella. Salmonella bacteria can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain in humans, who can contract it by eating dairy or meat from an infected animal, or even by touching an infected pet. Pimentel said a small percentage of patients go on to develop irritable bowel syndrome, a chronic condition involving abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The bacteria, which infect 1.35 million Americans each year, also can contaminate produce mishandled in the kitchen or on a farm. To prevent cross-contamination of food at home, Pimentel advised against washing poultry before cooking it, which can splatter bacteria onto sinks and countertops. He suggested prepping meat and vegetables with separate cutting boards, dishes and utensils, and washing utensils halfway through when cooking meat. "That way you're not continuously putting the original chicken juice back onto the chicken," Pimentel told Prevention. He added that anyone with sudden-onset diarrhea "shouldn't be cutting the vegetables for other people in the household for a couple of days while you have that illness because you can spread it to others." To avoid getting salmonella from a buffet, Pimentel advised scooping from the center of the warming tray directly over the flame. "That food is probably at the correct temperature to kill bacteria," he told Prevention, "but at the edges, it's probably at the perfect temperature to cause growth." Most cases of salmonella resolve on their own, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that vulnerable people-including immunocompromised individuals, infants, and those over age 65-receive treatment with antibiotics. Click here to read the complete article from Prevention. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Prevention What Is Salmonella Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home