Salmonellosis with Special Reference to Epidemiology and Management

Salmonellosis is an important emerging food-borne zoonotic disease. Millions of human cases are reported world-wide every year and the disease results in thousands of deaths. It is caused by various Salmonella serovars. Salmonellae are transmitted to humans mainly through meat, egg and poultry products. Many serovars of Salmonella has been recovered from cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, horse, camel, pig, dog, cat, poultry, wild animals, birds and poikilotherms. Poultry and pigs are the main reservoirs of Salmonella organism. Among all the serovars of Salmonella enterica, Salmonella typhimurium is most commonly associated with enteric infections in man and animals. Multidrug resistant (MDR) strains of Salmonella are now encountered frequently and the rates of multidrug resistance have increased considerably in recent years. Patients infected with MDR strains are at greater risk of bacteremia, hospitalization, and death compared to patients infected with susceptible strains. Vaccination and treatment in man and animals, implementation of HACCP system, adequate heat treatment of foods of animal origin, prevention of recontamination of processed foods and personal hygiene may be effective measures in the prevention and control of Salmonellosis in man and animals.