Salmonella

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The rapid and unselective use of traditional antibiotics gives rise to the emergence of drug resistant phenotype in typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars, which has increased the difficulties in curing Salmonella-induced food-borne illnesses (majorly typhoid or paratyphoid fever, gastroenteritis, and diarrhoea) worldwide.

About Salmonella Typhimurium:

• Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses known as salmonellosis. 
• Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces.Humans become infected most frequently through contaminated water or food.
• The symptoms of Salmonella include nausea, diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after contracting the infection
• Salmonella Typhimurium can be transferred to humans through raw or undercooked infected food including meat and eggs.
• Salmonella Typhimurium causes gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gut).

• Salmonella typhimurium ST313, an invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella serovar, causes bloodstream infection in the malnourished and immunocompromised population of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Recent studies have reported the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotype in Salmonella tphimurium DT104, which causes infection in humans and cattle.