Salmonella †description, pathogenesis, symptoms Essay -- Medicine Foo

Salmonella – description, pathogenesis, symptoms Salmonella is a gram-negative bacillus that causes inflammation of the GI tract and in some cases, if the immune response is not sufficiently powerful and treatment is not administered, can become systemic and cause even more serious conditions throughout the body. After ingestion, these bacteria cause infection by invading the epithelial cells of the small intestine and macrophages. Though there are more than two thousand different subspecies of Salmonella, few of them are able to cause serious conditions in humans—for most, the disease resolves itself in a matter of days. Those who are most affected by Salmonella infection are infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. Some of the main conditions caused by Salmonella are gastroenteritis, enteric fever, and bacteremia, while the general symptoms of salmonella include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. While there are typically few to no long-term effects as a result of a Salmonella infectio n, more serious complications may arise. The mention of the latest salmonella outbreak is often enough to make anyone’s stomach turn—people in the US and other countries have long maintained a strong aversion to, and even anxiety towards, the very idea of salmonella entering the food supply. It is this fear that drives the government and the agricultural industry, which are also prey to the overwhelming dread of the salmonella contamination, to take extreme measures to prevent the slightest risk of salmonella contamination and that continually puts the public on edge—but despite this widespread apprehension, much of the public remains ignorant of what salmonella really is. For many, it is but an ominous nam... ...=0>. Lunsford, Andrea A. â€Å"MLA Format for In-text Citations.† The St. Martin’s Handbook. Fifth Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s. 20 July 2008. . MayoClinic. â€Å"Salmonella infection.† Infectious Disease. 12 Apr. 2007. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 19 July 2008. . MedicineNet. â€Å"Salmonella.† Diseases and Conditions. MedicineNet, Inc. 19 July 2008. . Slack, John M. and I. S. Snyder. Bacteria and Human Disease. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc., 1978. World Health Organization (WHO). â€Å"Drug-resistant salmonella.† Media Centre. April 2005. World Health Organization. 19 July 2008. .