Facts about salmonella and how to protect yourself

April 24--Frito-Lay announced over the weekend that it was voluntarily recalling several flavors of Lay's and Miss Vickie's potato chips over possible salmonella contamination.

The recall is among more than 20 issued so far this year through Food and Drug Administration, for various reasons -- from "foreign matter contamination" to "misbranding and undeclared allergens."

As for salmonella, here are a few facts on what it is from the FDA. (Note: No illnesses have been reported so far by Frito-Lay.)

--Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, medically fragile or the elderly.

--Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

--Food is the most common vehicle for the spread of salmonella.

--How to protect yourself: Avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat; keep uncooked meats separate from produce and cooked foods; and hands should be washing before handling food and in between different foods, as well as after contact with animal feces.

--Here's where you can learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/index.html and http://bit.ly/2q6OGnl.

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