Salmonella
Incubation period: 12 to 72 hours
Common clinical features: Diarrhoea, vomiting and fever
Reservoir: It can be found in the gastrointestinal tract of wild and domestic animals, birds (especially poultry), reptiles, amphibians (for example, terrapins), and occasionally humans.
Transmission: Predominantly from foodstuffs -most commonly red and white meats, raw eggs, milk, and dairy products - and following contamination of cooked food by raw food or failing to achieve adequate cooking temperatures. Person to person spread by close contact, usually during the acute diarrhoeal phase of the illness. Contact with infected animals.
Other relevant features: Secondary cases are common in outbreaks. Food handlers who practice good hygiene are very rarely responsible for initiating outbreaks.
HTW has noted that amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) it has been suggested that the symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers were akin to the condition of hyperventilation.
HTW has for many years received reports from concerned holiday makers or independent travellers as to the safety of their aircraft, ship or boat, train or road transport.
