Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on many topics that describe types of microbial and viral contamination and how they may be addressed using disinfection procedures, sanitization procedures, sterilization procedures, and a variety of new technologies. It describes a variety of different ways to perform disinfection, how to qualify disinfectants and preservatives, new technologies for decontamination or sterilization, and sterilization methods. While the types and levels of contamination may be different in foods, devices, drugs, and biologics, many of the ways to deal with the contamination are the same. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting in to the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.