More than 200 infected with salmonella in the UK: Could this happen in Israel?
A salmonella outbreak in the UK has led to 207 cases of infection, dozens of hospitalizations, and one death. The primary suspicion is imported eggs served in restaurants and cafes, but the source has not yet been definitively determined. Given that eggs imported from the West Bank are sold in markets without supervision, the question arises whether a similar event could occur in Israel.
Health authorities in the UK are investigating a salmonella outbreak in which 207 people have been infected, ranging in age from infancy to 90. One patient has died, two developed blood infections, and 38% of the patients for whom information is available were hospitalized. Out of 114 patients interviewed, 95 reported that they had eaten food prepared outside the home in the week before the onset of symptoms. Five businesses have been linked to more than one case, and eggs are currently the primary suspicion in the investigation.
According to Dr. Nadav Ilani, a gastroenterology specialist at Clalit in the Jerusalem district, imported eggs are not necessarily more dangerous, and the risk depends on where they were produced and the conditions in which they were stored:
"One should be mainly concerned if the origin of the eggs is unclear, if they have not undergone veterinary inspection, things like that. Sometimes eggs that are not inspected infiltrate various supermarkets or catering services, yes, from the West Bank and such. For example, this can happen."
It depends on the place from which the eggs are imported. In places that maintain hygiene, where the laying hens are under veterinary control, this happens less. It is possible that the transport of the eggs and the time that passes from the moment they are laid until they are marketed also play a role. If there is a small amount of bacteria, it can multiply as time passes. Salmonella bacteria are usually found on the eggshell following contact with secretions, but they can pass into the contents during cracking or remain in the food when the egg is not cooked at a sufficient temperature.
According to Dr. Ilani, a scenario of a widespread outbreak in Israel is also possible if a dish prepared from contaminated eggs is served to many people:
"I am not familiar with the data. I assume there have been cases that broke out with salmonella, and mainly, let's say, there are contaminated eggs from which some dish was prepared, and it stood outside, and they didn't fry it, didn't cook the eggs all the way through and things like that, and many people consumed it together. It can be, yes."
Dr. Ilani recommends mainly ensuring the purchase of eggs from a known and supervised source and using refrigeration and full cooking:
"What lowers the risk is that the egg is cooked at a high temperature, or a hard-boiled egg, or an omelet that is fried properly. It is more problematic in the case that it does not reach a high temperature, say like a sunny-side-up egg or raw eggs and all sorts of dishes. This is more problematic."
Salmonella infection usually causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever, and in most cases passes without special treatment. The risk of severe illness is higher in very young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.
"Not every diarrhea requires going to a doctor, or certainly not to the emergency room, but it depends on the severity. If someone has a lot of diarrhea, is vomiting, cannot drink, or has a high fever, or feels very, very weak, then one needs to come and be checked. In cases of severe or bloody diarrhea, yes, one needs to seek medical evaluation."
