All You Need to Know About Salmonellosis- Bacterial Disease Impacting US and Europe. Should India be Worried?

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said that there have been more than 150 suspected cases of Salmonellosis which is a bacterial intestinal disease in Europe and the United States. “To date, a total of 151 genetically related cases suspected to be linked to the consumption of the implicated chocolate products have been reported from 11 countries,” the global health body said in a statement on Wednesday.Also Read – From Boosting Immunity To Strengthening Hair, Top 5 Health Benefits Of Consuming Watermelon Seeds – Watch

WHO further said that children and elderly individuals are at a greater risk for severe complications. Reportedly, 113 countries across Europe and globally have received Kinder products during the period of risk. Also Read – Explained: What Is Hysteria? What Are It’s Symptoms and How Can It Be Treated, Expert Speaks

Italian chocolate and confectionery products company Ferrero’s Kinder chocolates have now been linked to salmonella poisoning in about 11 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. Also Read – Explained: Busting Myths About Dialysis Treatment And Understanding Facts From Doctor | Watch Video

The company had earlier this month voluntarily withdrawn some of its Kinder chocolates from markets in the US and several European and Asian countries over potential salmonella contamination.

Children under 10 have been most affected, comprising some 89 per cent of cases, and available data indicates that nine patients were hospitalised. There have been no fatalities.

However, the WHO said that “the risk of spread in the WHO European region and globally is assessed as moderate until the information is available on the full recall of the products”.

On March 27, the UK notified the WHO of a cluster of cases with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) sequence type 34 infection.

Investigations linked the outbreak to chocolate produced in Belgium, which is distributed to at least 113 countries.
A global alert was released by the UN body International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) on April 10, initiating a global product recall.

While 150 of 151 known cases have been reported in Europe, one case has been reported in the US and there is the likelihood of additional cases being reported from other countries.

Ferrero, which manufactures Kinder Joy at its plant in Pune, said India is excluded in the list of countries where its products are being recalled, according to media reports.

What is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a common food-borne illness that causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. The infections are typically mild and do not require treatment, however, children and elderly individuals are at greater risk for severe complications related to associated dehydration.

Genetic sequencing of the salmonella bacteria which sparked the food scare showed that the pathogen S. Typhimurium originated in Belgium.

According to the analyses of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the strain is resistant to six types of antibiotics.

The WHO noted that salmonella bacteria matching the current human cases of infection were also found last December and January, in buttermilk tanks at a factory run by chocolate makers Ferrero, in the Belgian city of Arlon.
Salmonella bacteria are widely found in domestic and wild animals, such as poultry, pigs, and cattle.

WHO says:

Pets are not immune either and WHO notes that Salmonella “can pass through the entire food chain from animal feed, primary production, and all the way to households or food-service establishments and institutions”.

(Inputs by IANS)