Salmonella Infections

Salmonella is the name of a group of bacteria. In the United States, it is the most common cause of foodborne illness. Salmonella occurs in raw poultry, eggs, beef, and sometimes on unwashed fruit and vegetables.

Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and headache. Symptoms usually last 4 - 7 days. Most people get better without treatment. It can be more serious in the elderly, infants and people with chronic conditions. If Salmonella gets into the bloodstream, it can be serious, or even life-threatening. The usual treatment is antibiotics.

You also can get a salmonella infection after handling pets, particularly reptiles like snakes, turtles and lizards. Typhoid fever, a more serious disease caused by Salmonella, frequently occurs in developing countries.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

External Resources

Salmonellosis and its laboratory diagnosis - Salmonellosis and its laboratory diagnosis: Complete description of salmonella infections, isolation of salmonella typhi in laboratory, laboratory diagnosis of typhoid fever. --Dr. Avinash Abhyankar.

Salmonella - A guide to Salmonellosis, or infection with salmonella bacteria, a form of food poisoning, from AEGIS.

CDC - Salmonellosis - General information on the diagnosis, treatment, consequences, and prevention of infection with the Salmonella bacteria.

MedlinePlus: Salmonella Infections - Directory of links to information and news about the disease.

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