How Salmonella's Molecular Weapons Threaten Our Food Supply
In August 2025, federal health officials announced an alarming discovery: 95 people across 14 states had fallen ill with Salmonella poisoning, and the source was traced back to eggs from a single distributor. Eighteen people were hospitalized, though fortunately no deaths were reported. The outbreak had been quietly spreading since January, with cases still emerging as late as July 5 . This wasn't an isolated incident—around the same time, other Salmonella outbreaks were linked to frozen sprouted beans and home-delivered meals, affecting dozens more people 1 2 .
Annual Salmonella infections in the US
Hospitalizations each year
These outbreaks represent just the tip of the iceberg. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that Salmonella causes over 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and nearly 420 deaths annually in the United States alone 8 .
Salmonella is a rod-shaped bacterium that lives in the intestines of people, animals, and birds. There are over 2,400 distinct types (called serotypes) of Salmonella, each with slightly different characteristics and degrees of pathogenicity 8 .
For most healthy adults, Salmonella infection causes unpleasant but limited symptoms including diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting that typically last several days to a week. However, in vulnerable populations, the infection can spread beyond the intestines into the bloodstream, leading to life-threatening complications.
Bacteremia
Endocarditis
Meningitis
Arthritis
In September 2025, researchers at the University of Illinois made a crucial breakthrough in understanding Salmonella's resilience. They discovered two novel proteins, CorC and MgpA, that act as magnesium exporters, helping the bacterium maintain optimal magnesium levels inside its cells 6 .
Why does this matter? Magnesium is essential for all living cells, stabilizing critical cellular components including ATP, ribosomes, DNA, and RNA, while also serving as a cofactor for numerous enzymes. However, too much magnesium becomes toxic.
Researchers first identified two candidate genes potentially involved in magnesium regulation—mgpA and corC.
They created Salmonella strains with each gene individually deleted, plus a double mutant with both genes inactivated.
The different bacterial strains were exposed to various challenging conditions including high-magnesium environments, magnesium-deficient conditions, egg white, and infection models.
The researchers measured the bacteria's ability to survive, multiply, and cause disease in each condition 6 .
| Bacterial Strain | High Magnesium Stress | Magnesium Deprivation | Egg White Survival | Mouse Infection Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Type Salmonella | Normal growth | Limited growth | Moderate survival | High virulence |
| mgpA mutant | Reduced growth | Limited growth | Reduced survival | Moderate virulence |
| corC mutant | Reduced growth | Limited growth | Reduced survival | Moderate virulence |
| Double mutant (mgpA & corC deleted) | Severely impaired growth | Limited growth | Minimal survival | Low virulence |
Table 1: Survival Capabilities of Salmonella Mutants Under Different Conditions
The results were striking. The double mutant (lacking both mgpA and corC) showed severely impaired growth under high-magnesium conditions and could barely survive in egg white. Most importantly, these defective bacteria were much less capable of causing infection in mice 6 .
The discovery of magnesium-regulating proteins in Salmonella represents more than just an academic achievement—it reveals potential vulnerabilities that could be targeted by new treatments or prevention strategies. As we understand more about how Salmonella maintains its magnesium balance, survives in egg whites, and resists our immune defenses, we move closer to disrupting these mechanisms.
While the statistics remain concerning—with millions of illnesses annually—the coordinated efforts of researchers, public health officials, and food producers provide hope. The scientific insights gained from studying Salmonella's lethal effects are gradually building a future where the hidden killer in our eggs may finally be neutralized.