Return to Work Assessment and Management of Hospital Food Handlers with Positive Stool Culture for Salmonella

Abstract

Salmonella is a common pathogen found in stool culture samples in Thailand and Asia. Infections may lead to severe diseases, particularly typhoid and paratyphoid fever, which can be transmitted even in the absence of symptoms. These infections are identified as diseases requiring attention in the food sanitation manual for food service establishments according to the regulations of the Ministry of Public Health’s Food Service Establishment Act, B.E. 2561. Therefore, establishing guidelines for evaluating return to work and managing food handlers with positive stool culture for Salmonella is essential, especially for high-risk groups in a hospital setting

This article aims to review the current literature on guidelines for evaluating return to work and managing food handlers with positive stool culture for Salmonella. As details vary in each country, the review results show that several factors need to be considered for assessment such as pathogens, infectivity, symptoms, treatments, and food handling duties. This article also covers food safety standards, personal hygiene, and self-reporting practices. These are recommended practices to reduce contamination and transmission of the pathogen from food handlers to consumers, as well as for infection control in hospitals.