UAlbany scientists get funding to develop salmonella detection kit

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- UAlbany researchers have been awarded $611,000 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a new salmonella-detecting tool. This detection kit would change color, turning purple if positive and red if negative.

If successful, the new test would reduce detection time for the bacteria from days to hours. This would allow for quicker implementation of preemptive measures, preventing illness and lost revenue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), salmonella can give people illnesses such as salmonellosis, typhoid, or paratyphoid fevers. The CDC says about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths are caused by salmonella yearly.