NJPMA Provides Advice for Minimizing <EM>Salmonella</EM> Threat

“Americans have been hearing news of Salmonella outbreaks this year and the untold story behind this common disease is how close to home it is in terms, not only about processed foods, but for everyone who has a pet, and every home or other structure that has an infestation of mice,” says Leonard Douglen, executive sirector of the New Jersey Pest Management Association.

An outbreak of Salmonella due to contaminated peanuts began the year when a Georgia-based wholesaler of peanuts was discovered to have a significant rodent infestation. In April federal officials found traces of Salmonella in a central California pistachio processing plant, sparking a nationwide recall.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention identifies the disease as “an infection with bacteria called Salmonella,” noting that “Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 73 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment.”

Salmonella poses a particular threat to “The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems.”

“Contact with animal feces is the way most people are infected,” says Douglen, “and for homeowners and those in apartment dwellings where an infestation of mice exists, the risk increases because mice urinate and defecate wherever they go. Since they are constantly in search of sources of food, mice will eat their way into boxes of cereal and contaminate any food with which they have contact.”

“They also contaminate the surfaces, particularly in kitchens, where food is prepared or the dishes on which it is served,” says Douglen. “Ensuring that mice cannot gain access to one’s home or apartment is essential. Most homes provide ample opportunity for mice to move in, to nest, to find food sources, and to swiftly breed.”

For those homes with garages where items such as grass seed is stored, “it is an open invitation for a mouse infestation and, of course, this applies to larger rodents such as rats,” says Douglen. Both rodent species can gain access to a home or other structure with remarkable ease, squeezing through the smallest cracks in foundations or attached structures such as patios.

“Not only do they contaminate any food with which they come in contact,” says Douglen, “the allergens in their hair and urine have also been found to cause asthma. Another common cause of asthma are cockroaches, whose desiccated exoskeletons are a major irritant.”

Those who own dogs and who must by law pick up and remove their feces for disposal run a particularly high risk for Salmonella infections, but this is true also for cat owners or those who own bird species. “Any contact with the feces of these animals puts owners and their families at risk,” says Douglen.

Pest management professionals are especially busy during the summer months when rodent species breed extensively. “Clients understandably want to have a mouse infestation killed immediately, but the process of getting rid of an infestation includes storing food in ways that denies access such as repacking food in thick plastic containers.”

Pest control also involves identifying and closing off entry points in a structure, along with the appropriate steps necessary to capture or kill the mouse or rat population.

The CDC estimates that approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported nationwide, but since mild cases are often not reported or diagnosed, “the actual number of infections may be thirty or more times greater. Salmonellosis is more common in the summer than winter.”

“New Jersey has many licensed and certified pest management firms, all of whom can deal with a mouse infestation,” said Douglen. Our website provides a directory of NJPMA member firms and we are affiliated with the National Pest Management Association as well.”

Douglen recommends a thorough home inspection “before mice can become a problem” and taking the steps recommended to protect food sources, as well as the habit of washing one’s hands after any contact with pets, and a visit to the bathroom. Washing one’s hands before preparing food and thoroughly cooking poultry, fish and meat is critical to avoid infection.

“Salmonella may not kill you, but it can have effects on one’s intestinal system and bowels that are very unpleasant long after the initial illness is over.”