Salmonella

Salmonella

Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen and a major global public health issue. This pathogen is a rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria and a facultative anaerobe belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae (Eng et al., 2015). In addition, Salmonella bacteria are intracellular bacilli with O, H, and Vi antigens (Giannella, 2022). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre, Salmonella is classified into Salmonella enterica and Salmonella bongori species. Most Salmonella strains are pathogenic and can invade, replicate and survive in human host cells, causing a fatal disease (Eng et al., 2015). The species are further classified into six subspecies subdivided into serovars. Serovars are differentiated according to the presence of flagellar, carbohydrate, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures (Coburn et al., 2006). In addition, there are 1800 serovars that are considered separate species.

Salmonella exhibits a remarkable characteristic when invading the non-phagocytic human host cells. These bacteria induce their own phagocytic mechanism to access the host cell. Their genetic composition comprises Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs), which are genes found in the chromosomal DNA region that codes for structures for invasion of the host cells (Eng et al., 2015). The SPIs encode multi-channel proteins called type III secretion systems that allow Salmonella to penetrate through the intestinal epithelial cell membrane into the cytoplasm of the host cell. Consequently, they cause gastrointestinal illnesses and fever called salmonellosis.

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Transmission Routes

As mentioned above, Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that is generally readily available in eggs, poultry, and dairy products. Other sources include fresh fruits and vegetables. Notably, Salmonella enterica is acquired through oral transmission and causes chronic asymptomatic carriage, enterocolitis/diarrhea, enteric fever (typhoid), and bacteremia. Typically, oral transmission through ingestion of contaminated food or water is the primary transmission route of the various Salmonella strains. Infectious foods include raw or undercooked animal products (meat, eggs, and seafood), unpasteurized dairy products, and contaminated fruits and vegetables (Jewell, 2022). In addition, Salmonella, including Salmonella enterica, is contagious; therefore, close contact with a carrier or an infected person could lead to infections, in this case, typhoid (Coburn et al., 2006).

Other transmission routes include sexual activities such as anal sex that expose the individual to fecal bacteria (Jewell, 2022). Also, touching infected surfaces and putting one’s fingers in the mouth could result in contracting Salmonella infections (Jewell, 2022). Lastly, infected pets and animals could be carrying the Salmonella bacteria on their fur, skin, feathers, or fecal matter. Therefore, close contact with these infected animals could result in an infection (Jewell, 2022) if the individual in contact with them does not observe personal hygiene, like washing hands with clean water and soap.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Transmission Routes

Firstly, it is worth noting the specific conditions for Salmonella survival. To begin with, these bacteria prefer wet environments with minimum exposure to the sun (“Salmonellosis (Public Health Concerns for the Farm Family and Staff) | Cornell Chronicle”, 1997). They also survive under pH conditions between 4 and 8 and under low oxygen conditions, such as in slurry manure pits. Accordingly, these abilities are significant for their oral transmission. However, this oral transmission can be disadvantageous, especially when the environmental conditions do not favor their survival. For instance, spreading the manure onto flat fields prevents run-off problems. It exposes the manure to the drying effects of the wind and UV radiation from the sun (“Salmonellosis (Public Health Concerns for the Farm Family and Staff) | Cornell Chronicle”, 1997), which are unfavorable conditions for Salmonella survival.

Furthermore, the other transmission routes involving ingestion of raw or undercooked infected food products bear advantages. Accordingly, the Salmonella bacteria are readily available in these foods, and upon ingestion, they invade the host cells, causing infections. Also, close contact with infected persons and touching infected surfaces are fast routes for Salmonella. Nonetheless, these transmission routes bear disadvantages. Essentially, observing proper hygiene, like washing hands with clean water and soap, prevents the transmission of these bacteria. Also, proper cooking and pasteurization of dairy products kill the bacteria, preventing Salmonella transmission.

References

Coburn, B., Grassl, G., & Finlay, B. (2006). Salmonella, the host and disease: a brief review. Immunology and Cell Biology, 85(2), 112-118. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.icb.7100007

Eng, S., Pusparajah, P., Ab Mutalib, N., Ser, H., Chan, K., & Lee, L. (2015). <i>Salmonella</i>: A review on pathogenesis, epidemiology and antibiotic resistance. Frontiers In Life Science, 8(3), 284-293. https://doi.org/10.1080/21553769.2015.1051243

Giannella, R. (2022). Salmonella. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 17 June 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8435/.

Jewell, T. (2022). Is Salmonella Contagious? How It Spreads and When to Worry. Healthline. Retrieved 17 June 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/is-salmonella-contagious#transmission.

Salmonellosis (Public Health Concerns for the Farm Family and Staff) | Cornell Chronicle. Cornell Chronicle. (1997). Retrieved 17 June 2022, from https://news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/12/salmonella-fact-sheet.

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Explain the characteristics that make up Salmonella.
Discuss transmission routes between various strains of Salmonella.

Salmonella

Include what the different transmission routes are used for.
Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each transmission route.