Additional Information

What is the Government Doing About Salmonellosis?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitors the frequency of Salmonella infections in the country and assists the local and state health departments in investigating outbreaks and devising control measures. CDC also monitors the different types of Salmonella that are reported annually by public health laboratories of state and local health departments. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspects imported foods, oversees inspection of milk pasteurization plants, promotes better food preparation techniques in restaurants and food processing plants, and regulates the sale of turtles. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitors the health of food animals, inspects egg pasteurization plants, and is responsible for the quality of slaughtered and processed meat. The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), a collaboration among CDC, FDA, USDA, and health departments, tracks changes in antibiotic resistance among Salmonella from humans (CDC), retail meats (FDA), and food animals (USDA). The US Environmental Protection Agency regulates and monitors the safety of drinking water supplies.

How Can I Learn More About This and Other Public Health Problems?

You can discuss any medical concerns you may have with your doctor or other heath care provider. Your local City or County Health Department can provide more information about this and other public health problems that are occurring in your area. General information about the public health of the nation is published every week in the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)", by the CDC in Atlanta, GA. Every spring, the MMWR publishes a report of the incidence of Salmonella and other infections during the previous year in FoodNet sentinel surveillance sites. Epidemiologists in your local and state health departments are tracking many important public health problems, investigating special problems that arise, and helping to prevent them from occurring in the first place, and from spreading, when they occur.