United States: A recently released report predicted that temperature rises would boost Salmonella transmission rates across large areas.
More about the news
The study showed that Salmonella cases will likely increase because of environments with temperatures higher than 50°F and relative humidity combined with dew point temperatures ranging from 44.6°F through 50°F under daylight conditions exceeding 12 to 15 hours.
Among all causes of food poisoning, the Salmonella bacteria stands out as the primary offender.
The Salmonella bacterium resides inside human and animal intestines and enters food products when people handle unprocessed food by touching it.
As Dr. Laura Gonzalez Villeta, a researcher at the University of Surrey in England and lead author of the new study, stated, “The study highlights how weather plays a significant role in Salmonella outbreaks and provides a valuable tool for predicting future risks and tailoring interventions, particularly in the context of climate change,” studyfinds.org reported.
How was the study conducted?
The UK Health Security Agency data provided statistics on Salmonella infection rates at 144,703 cases throughout England and Wales between 2000 and 2016.
Data regarding the outbreak timing was gathered for 14 weather-related factors. The researchers indicate that multiple data points generate a comprehensive view of what causes Salmonella outbreaks to increase.
Furthermore, “The model we used to analyze the data shows promise, as the findings were replicated across England, Wales and, independently, in the Netherlands, suggesting a potential for wider application in other European and high-income countries to help gain new insights on the incidence of Salmonella,” Villeta described.
“It would be interesting to investigate this in regions with very different environmental and socio-economic characteristics, like tropical countries,” he added.
Among the weather factors that contribute most to salmonella outbreak frequency, we find rising temperatures along with increased humidity reduced rainfall and lengthening daylight hours, studyfinds.org reported.
The variables affecting Salmonella cases increased by air pressure and wind speed together with temperature amplitude and sunshine duration demonstrated weaker relationships when compared to temperature and day length effects.
The researchers found that Salmonella increases had no geographical limitations.