Food poisoning in summer: Salmonella is the main culprit...I should avoid soft-boiled eggs and raw meat

Jul 17, 2025

Data source=Ansplash

Recently, 130 citizens who ate gimbap at a gimbap franchise in Seoul were treated at the hospital for group food poisoning symptoms such as high fever and abdominal pain. Currently, the competent health center and health authorities are investigating the cause.

Yang Moo-yeol, a pediatric and adolescent specialist at H Plus Yangji Hospital, visited the hospital after eating kimbap and being infected with salmonella" he said.

Most of the food poisoning accidents that occurred at kimbap shops over the past three years (2021-2023) were investigated as salmonella, which grows in high-temperature and humid environments, so safety management is important to prevent food poisoning in summer.

During the period when the humidity is high during the rainy season and the daytime maximum temperature lasts above 35℃, the food we eat tends to deteriorate and the incidence of enteritis caused by food poisoning increases as bacterial reproduction becomes active.

Yang Mu-yeol, a medical specialist, said, "Enteritis is a disease that is inflamed by bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc., and symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever last 4 to 7 days, and elderly people and infants with weak immune systems may be at risk due to sepsis and intestinal infections."," he said.

Hydration is the key to treatment, and water supplements or water containing electrolytes should be consumed frequently to prevent dehydration symptoms. If vomiting and nausea make it difficult to drink water, the hospital may need to replenish fluids by intravenous injection. Since salmonella must be excreted from the intestine, the use of antidiarrheal agents with diarrhea inhibitory effects can delay recovery and should be avoided.

Antibiotics are used on a limited basis, but most of them recover naturally, but if symptoms worsen as a high fever continues, immunosuppressant, and elderly and infants take antibiotics at the discretion of their doctors.

To prevent enteritis in summer, hand hygiene (hand washing, hand sanitizer) is basic, and it is recommended to use personal utensils. Food must be cooked and consumed, and eggs and meat must be cooked to the inside. It is better to avoid soft-boiled eggs and raw meat in the summer.

Knives and cutting boards should be used separately for raw meat and vegetables to thoroughly distinguish ingredients. Salmonella is caused by poultry such as contaminated eggs or complex cooking foods, so keep eggs refrigerated immediately after purchase, and do not use cracked eggs. Be careful not to leave mayonnaise and whipped cream at room temperature for a long time, cut off water or use safe bottled water, and ice storage management is also important.

In particular, restaurants operated by group catering centers and daycare centers need thorough hygiene management, and many of the group food poisoning accidents are related to salmonella, such as the Kimbap restaurant group food poisoning incident, so thorough inspection of cooking and storage of food ingredients is necessary, said Yang Moo-yeol, a specialist.