A DEADLY strain of salmonella that has infected more than 250 people may not respond to antibiotics, doctors have warned.
Drugs commonly prescribed to treat the foodborne infection may not work on the new strain, they said.
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It comes after 255 people in 32 states in America were infected with the strain between June 2018 and March 2019, with 60 being hospitalised and two dying from the infection, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr Ian Plumb, an epidemiologist at the CDC and the the report’s author, said: “We are continuing to see cases occurring among patients.
“The antibiotic resistance pattern of this strain is alarming because the primary oral antibiotics used to treat patients with this type of salmonella infection may not work.”
The salmonella infections were linked to beef bought in the United States and soft cheese sourced in Mexico – suggesting that this strain could be present in cattle in both countries.
And 89 of the people who contracted the infection had recently travelled to Mexico.
Dr Plumb recommended that people avoid eating soft cheese that could be made using unpasteurised milk, and to use a thermometer when preparing beef as two ways to try and avoid the ‘super strain’.
The antibiotic resistance pattern of this strain is alarming because the primary oral antibiotics used to treat patients with this type of Salmonella infection may not work
Dr Ian Plumb, epidemiologist
He added: “To prevent infection, consumers should avoid eating soft cheese that could be made with unpasteurised milk, and when preparing beef they should use a thermometer to ensure appropriate cooking temperatures are reached: 145 degrees Fahrenheit (62.8 Celsius) for steaks and roasts followed by a 3-minute rest time, and 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71.1 Celsius) for ground beef or hamburgers.”
The CDC called the strain “emerging” and said it hadn’t been detected before 2016.
The strain didn’t respond to ciprofloxacin and had “decreased susceptibility” to azithromycin – two of the antibiotic drugs often prescribed to treat salmonella infections.
Most patients with salmonella infections recover without antibiotics, but those with severe infections need antibiotics.
What is salmonella and what are the symptoms?
Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
A large number of animals carry salmonella in their gut – including snakes, frogs and geckos.
It gets its name from the man who discovered it some 125 years ago – an American scientist named Dr Salmon.
The illness people get from a salmonella infection is called salmonellosis.
Anyone can get sick from the bug, but young kids, elderly people, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems such cancer sufferers are especially vulnerable.
After ingesting salmonella bacteria, symptoms usually take between 12 and 72 hours to develop.
Typical symptoms of infection include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever.
Symptoms tend to last between four and seven days and will not require treatment – although in extreme cases sufferers need hospital care for the resulting dehydration, which can be dangerous.
Resistant infections can be harder to treat, and patients may be at increased risk for developing serious complications.
Salmonella is usually spread in contaminated food that is not properly prepared before eating.
The bacteria lives in the gut of many farm animals, such as chickens, so meat and eggs must be properly cooked to ensure it is killed.
After ingesting salmonella bacteria, symptoms usually take between 12 and 72 hours to develop.
Typical symptoms of infection include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever.
Symptoms tend to last between four and seven days and will not require treatment – although in extreme cases sufferers need hospital care for the resulting dehydration, which can be dangerous.
People infected with salmonella should remember to drink plenty of fluids.
Doctors may recommend a rehydration solution from a pharmacy, and in some cases, antibiotics are necessary.
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