…says Minister Prashad
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, has said Guyanese need not be alarmed by the outbreak of salmonella in the United States.    He said Guyana has not imported any chickens from there for the year, since our chicken supply is self-sufficient, and the eggs that have been imported were from Georgia, not where the outbreak occurred.
Prashad added that he will be meeting with poultry producers and large supermarkets to ensure that they are on the alert and to ensure that the situation in Guyana remains the same.
“At the moment, we are monitoring the situation carefully, but as of now, eggs are safe for consumption,” the Minister said.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, hundreds of people have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs in three states and possibly more, and health officials on Wednesday dramatically expanded a recall to 380 million eggs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with state health departments to investigate the illnesses and no deaths have been reported.
The AP report noted that initially, 228 million eggs were recalled, but that number was increased to the equivalent of nearly 32 million dozen-egg cartons.
The initial recall was issued last week. Eggs affected by the expanded recall were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies in California, Colorado, Minnesota, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, Oregon, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
The Food and Drug Administration is also reportedly investigating.
Salmonella is found worldwide in cold- and warm-blooded animals (including humans), and in the environment. It causes illnesses such as typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and the food borne illness, salmonellosis.
Salmonellosis is an infection with Salmonella bacteria. Most people who get infected with Salmonella develop diarrhoea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, eight to 72 hours after infection. In most cases, the illness lasts four to seven days; most affected persons recover without treatment.
However, in some persons, the diarrhoea may be so severe that the patient becomes dangerously dehydrated, and must be taken to a hospital. At the hospital, the patients may receive intravenous fluids to treat their dehydration, and medications may be given to provide symptomatic relief, like fever reduction.
In severe cases, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites, and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness. Some people afflicted with salmonellosis later experience reactive arthritis, which can have long-lasting, disabling effects.
The type of Salmonella usually associated with infections in humans is called nontyphoidal Salmonella. It is usually contracted from sources such as:
* Poultry, pork, and cattle, if the meat is prepared incorrectly or somehow becomes infected with the bacteria;
* Infected eggs and milk, as well as egg products, when not prepared, handled, or refrigerated properly;
* Reptiles such as turtles, lizards, and snakes, as they can carry the bacteria on their skin; and
* Tainted fruits and vegetables.