Salmonella Infections

Summary

Salmonella is the name of a group of bacteria. In the United States, it is a common cause of foodborne illness.
Salmonella occurs in raw poultry, eggs, beef, and sometimes on unwashed fruit and vegetables. You also can get infected after handling pets, especially reptiles like snakes, turtles, and lizards.

Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Headache
• Possible nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite

Symptoms usually last 4-7 days. Your health care provider diagnoses the infection with a stool test. Most people get better without treatment. Infection can be more serious in older adults, infants, and people with chronic health problems. If Salmonella gets into the bloodstream, it can be serious. The usual treatment is antibiotics.

Typhoid fever, a more serious disease caused by Salmonella, is not common in the United States. It frequently occurs in developing countries.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Related Issues

• Backyard Poultry Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Reptiles and Amphibians Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Salmonella: Dry Pet Foods and Pet Treats (FAQ) American Veterinary Medical Association

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bacteria Culture Test National Library of Medicine
• Salmonella Diagnosis and Treatment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Stool Tests Nemours Foundation

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• FoodSafety.gov Department of Health and Human Services
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Salmonella Infections National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Typhoid Fever National Institutes of Health

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Enjoying Homemade Ice Cream without the Risk of Salmonella Infection Food and Drug Administration
• Salmonella and Eggs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Salmonella Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Shell Eggs from Farm to Table Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service

Statistics and Research

• Novel Structure and Function of Typhoid Toxin National Institutes of Health

Journal Articles

• Salmonella infections

Start Here

• Salmonella Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Salmonella Questions and Answers Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service

Patient Handouts

• Salmonella enterocolitis Medical Encyclopedia
• Typhoid fever Medical Encyclopedia
• Typhoid Vaccine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children

• Salmonella Infections (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Specifics

• Travelers’ Health: Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Images

• Typhoid Fever VisualDX