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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffSalmonella infection is contagious, so take precautions to avoid spreading bacteria to others. Preventive methods are especially important when preparing food or providing care for infants, older adults and people with compromised immune systems. Be sure to cook food thoroughly and refrigerate or freeze food promptly.
Wash your hands
Washing your hands thoroughly can help prevent the transfer of salmonella bacteria to your mouth or to any food you're preparing. Wash your hands after you:
- Use the toilet
- Change a diaper
- Handle raw meat or poultry
- Clean up pet feces
- Touch reptiles or birds
Keep things separate
To prevent cross-contamination:
- Store raw meat, poultry and seafood away from other foods in your refrigerator
- If possible, have two cutting boards in your kitchen — one for raw meat and the other for fruits and vegetables
- Never place cooked food on an unwashed plate that previously held raw meat
Avoid eating raw eggs
Cookie dough, homemade ice cream and eggnog all contain raw eggs. If you must consume raw eggs, make sure they've been pasteurized.
- Hohmann EL. Approach to the patient with nontyphoidal Salmonella in a stool culture. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 25, 2011.
- Fact sheets: Salmonella questions and answers. Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/salmonella_questions_&_answers/index.asp. Accessed Feb. 2, 2011.
- Salmonellosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/salmonellosis/. Accessed Feb. 2, 2011.
- Pegues DA, et al. Salmonellosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2894780. Accessed Feb. 3, 2011.
- Meltzer E, et al. Enteric fever: A travel medicine oriented view. Current Opinion in Infectious Disease. 2010;23:432.
- Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis: Diagnosis, assessment and management in children younger than 5 years. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=14445&search=dehydration. Accessed Feb. 2, 2011.
- Salmonella infections. The Merck Manuals: Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec14/ch173/ch173p.html. Accessed Feb. 8, 2011.
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