Folks,

Please read the excerpts below (and go to the CDC site link - they have
excellent information) if you want to go this route. This is a safety
issue in terms of uncooked raw food and everyone should be aware of the
risks. I had a salmonella infection about 25 years ago and ended up in
the hospital (where I worked in a research lab). I handled frogs in an
experimental lab which studied gastric acid secretion in frogs, (to
apply in treating human disorders).

I shall never forget the cramps, the fever, the diarrhea and the glee
with which I was visited by various medical students and interns who
had never seen a severe case before. They kept asking me which
restaurants I ate at - until they heard about the frogs in the lab that
actually had been dying off for weeks. We had thought it was their (the
frogs) inadequate food - until I got sick and I was the only one
handling them. I was teed off because the hospital staff kept asking
about Mexican restaurants or travel to Mexico. Had done neither in the
prior months. Poor frogs - all died, and it was thought a few (they
were wild rana pipiens) had it and every other frog in the same
enclosure got it.

The CDC has no axe to grind - except wanting health for us all (and
presumably for the animals in our households), so the following is
excerpted from the CDC website - they have data on all disease
outbreaks in the USA. They have regs for quarantine times for suspected
rabies in cases of domestic animal bites(they include ferrets).

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/salmonellosis/#catch


How do people catch Salmonella?

Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals,
including birds. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating
foods contaminated with animal feces. Contaminated foods usually look
and smell normal. Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such
as beef, poultry, milk, or eggs, but any food, including vegetables,
may become contaminated. Thorough cooking kills Salmonella. Food may
also become contaminated by the hands of an infected food handler who
did not wash hands with soap after using the bathroom.

Salmonella may also be found in the feces of some pets, especially
those with diarrhea, and people can become infected if they do not wash
their hands after contact with pets or pet feces. Reptiles, such as
turtles, lizards, and snakes, are particularly likely to harbor
Salmonella. Many chicks and young birds carry Salmonella in their
feces. People should always wash their hands immediately after handling
a reptile or bird, even if the animal is healthy. Adults should also
assure that children wash their hands after handling a reptile or bird,
or after touching its environment.


How common is salmonellosis?

Every year, approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported
in the United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or
reported, the actual number of infections may be thirty or more times
greater. Salmonellosis is more common in the summer than winter.

Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis. The rate of
diagnosed infections in children less than five years old is about five
times higher than the rate in all other persons. Young children, the
elderly, and the immunocompromised are the most likely to have severe
infections. It is estimated that approximately 400 persons die each
year with acute salmonellosis.


What can a person do to prevent this illness?

There is no vaccine to prevent salmonellosis. Because foods of animal
origin may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw
or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Raw eggs may be unrecognized
in some foods, such as homemade Hollandaise sauce, Caesar and other
homemade salad dressings, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, homemade
mayonnaise, cookie dough, and frostings. Poultry and meat, including
hamburgers, should be well-cooked, not pink in the middle. Persons
also should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy
products. Produce should be thoroughly washed.


What can I do to prevent salmonellosis? (excerpts)

* Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water
immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry.
* Be particularly careful with foods prepared for infants, the elderly,
and the immunocompromised.
* Wash hands with soap after handling reptiles, birds, or baby chicks,
and after contact with pet feces.
* Avoid direct or even indirect contact between reptiles (turtles,
iguanas, other lizards, snakes) and infants or immunocompromised
persons.

Meryl

[Posted in FML 6891]