People are usually infected when they eat contaminated food, such as undercooked chicken or eggs.
The bacteria usually infect the digestive tract but can travel through the bloodstream and infect other parts of the body.
People have nausea and crampy abdominal pain, followed by watery diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.
Identifying the bacteria in a sample, usually of stool, confirms the diagnosis.
Lost fluids are replaced.
Antibiotics are usually not helpful for people who have Salmonella intestinal infections, but antibiotics are helpful for people who are at risk of or have bacteremia.
(See also Overview of Bacteria. Overview of Bacteria Bacteria are microscopic, single-celled organisms. They are among the earliest known life forms on earth. There are thousands of different kinds of bacteria, and they live in every conceivable... read more )
Salmonella bacteria cause several types of infection. Most often, these bacteria cause gastroenteritis Overview of Gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach and small and large intestines. It is usually caused by infection with a microorganism but can also be caused by ingestion of chemical... read more 
, but they sometimes cause typhoid fever Typhoid Fever Typhoid fever is caused by certain types of the gram-negative bacteria Salmonella. It typically causes a high fever and abdominal pain. Typhoid fever can be spread by consuming food or... read more 
, a more serious infection.
There are over 2,500 different types of Salmonella bacteria.
Some Salmonella reside only in people. Other species of Salmonella normally reside in the digestive tract of many wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl, and reptiles (including snakes, lizards, and turtles). Many of these can cause infections in people.
Salmonella bacteria are excreted in the feces of infected animals and people, leading to contamination. In the United States during the 1970s, many infections were spread by pet turtles, so their sale was prohibited, resulting in fewer infections. Recently, the legal and illegal sale of pet reptiles has increased. Up to 90% of pet reptiles and amphibians, such as aquatic frogs, are infected with Salmonella.
People are infected usually by eating undercooked poultry or eggs but sometimes by eating undercooked beef and pork, unpasteurized dairy products, or contaminated seafood or fresh produce. Salmonella bacteria can infect the ovaries of hens and thus infect the egg before the egg is laid. Other foods may be contaminated by animal feces (for example, in slaughterhouses) or by infected food handlers who do not adequately wash their hands after using a toilet. People can also become infected if they drink contaminated water. Other reported sources of infection include infected pet turtles and reptiles and contaminated marijuana.
Because stomach acid tends to destroy Salmonella, a large number of these bacteria must be consumed for infection to develop, unless people have a deficiency of stomach acid. Such a deficiency may occur in
Children under 1 year old
Older people
People taking antacids or drugs that inhibit stomach acid production, including histamine-2 (H2) blockers (such as famotidine) or proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole)
Salmonella bacteria cause inflammation of the intestine (gastroenteritis Overview of Gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach and small and large intestines. It is usually caused by infection with a microorganism but can also be caused by ingestion of chemical... read more ) and thus are a common cause of diarrhea.
Spread through the bloodstream
Sometimes the bacteria enter the bloodstream (causing bacteremia Bacteremia Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. Bacteremia may result from ordinary activities (such as vigorous toothbrushing), dental or medical procedures, or from infections ... read more ) and spread, causing infections or collections of pus (abscesses) at distant sites, such as the bones, joints, urinary tract, and lungs. Bacteria may collect and cause infection on artificial (prosthetic) joints or heart valves, on a blood vessel graft, or on tumors. The lining of arteries, usually the aorta (the largest artery in the body), may be infected. Abscesses and infected arteries can cause chronic bacteremia.
The infection is more likely to spread through the bloodstream in the following people:
Infants
Older people, especially those living in a nursing home
People with disorders that affect red blood cells, such as sickle cell anemia Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease is an inherited genetic abnormality of hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells) characterized by sickle (crescent)-shaped red blood cells and chronic... read more
or malaria Malaria Malaria is infection of red blood cells with one of five species of the protozoa Plasmodium. Malaria causes fever, chills, sweating, a general feeling of illness (malaise), and sometimes... read more People with a disorder that weakens the immune system, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a viral infection that progressively destroys certain white blood cells and is treated with antiretroviral medications. If untreated, it can cause... read more
or cancerPeople who take drugs that suppress the immune system, such as those used to treat cancer or prevent rejection of an organ transplant
Symptoms of Salmonella Infections
When the intestine is infected, symptoms usually start 12 to 48 hours after the bacteria are ingested. Nausea and crampy abdominal pain occur, soon followed by watery diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Salmonella symptoms resolve in 1 to 4 days. Occasionally, symptoms are more severe and last a long time.
Long after symptoms are gone, a few people continue to excrete the bacteria in their stool. Such people are called carriers.
About 10 to 30% of adults develop reactive arthritis Reactive Arthritis Reactive arthritis (previously called Reiter syndrome) is a spondyloarthritis causing inflammation of the joints and tendon attachments at the joints, often related to an infection. Joint pain... read more 
weeks to months after diarrhea stops. This disorder causes pain and swelling, usually in the hips, knees, and Achilles tendon (which connects the heel bone and calf muscle).
Other symptoms may develop if bacteremia develops and infection spreads. For example, if a bone is infected, the area over it is often tender or painful. If a heart valve is infected, people may feel short of breath. If the aorta is infected, the back and abdomen may be painful.
People usually recover well. Exceptions are people who had a disorder, particularly one that weakens the immune system, before the Salmonella infection or who have a complication due to the infection.
Diagnosis of Salmonella Infections
Culture of stool, pus, blood, or a sample from the rectum
To diagnose a Salmonella infection, doctors take a sample of stool, pus, or blood or use a swab to obtain a sample from the rectum. The sample is sent to a laboratory where bacteria, if present, can be grown (cultured). Identifying the bacteria in the sample confirms the diagnosis.
Bacteria are also tested to see which antibiotics are effective (a process called susceptibility testing Testing a Microorganism's Susceptibility and Sensitivity to Antimicrobial Drugs Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Doctors suspect an infection based on the person's symptoms, physical examination results,... read more ).
Prevention of Salmonella Infections
Ways to prevent Salmonella infections include
Thoroughly cooking poultry, eggs, and ground beef
Not eating or drinking foods that contain raw eggs or raw (unpasteurized) milk, such as cookie dough, Hollandaise sauce, or certain homemade salad dressings
Thoroughly washing produce
Washing hands after going to the toilet or changing a diaper
Washing hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have touched raw meat or poultry
Washing hands with soap after touching reptiles, birds, or baby chicks and after contact with feces of a pet
Special precautions are needed for people at high risk, such as young children. For example, because reptiles (such as turtles), chicks, and other young birds are particularly likely to have Salmonella, young children should not be allowed to handle these animals, and reptiles should not be in the same house as infants.
Infected people should not prepare food for others.
Travelers can take certain measures to help reduce the risk of developing diarrhea Traveler’s Diarrhea .
There is no vaccine to prevent salmonellosis, although there are vaccines for typhoid fever Vaccination Typhoid fever is caused by certain types of the gram-negative bacteria Salmonella. It typically causes a high fever and abdominal pain. Typhoid fever can be spread by consuming food or... read more .
Treatment of Salmonella Infections
For intestinal infection, fluids
For people who are at risk of or have bacteremia, antibiotics
For abscesses, surgical drainage
Salmonella intestinal infection is treated with fluids given by mouth or, for severe infection, intravenously. Antibiotics do not shorten recovery time for people with Salmonella intestinal infection and may result in bacteria being excreted in the stool longer. Therefore, antibiotics are usually not given. However, people at risk of bacteremia (such as older residents of a nursing home, infants, and people with HIV infection) and people with implanted devices or materials (such as an artificial joint or heart valve or a blood vessel graft) are given antibiotics. They may be given ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, or ceftriaxone for several days. Children are given trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.
People with bacteremia are given antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin or ceftriaxone for about 2 weeks. If bacteremia persists, antibiotics are given for 4 to 6 weeks.
Abscesses are drained surgically, and antibiotics are given for at least 4 weeks.
If the aorta, a heart valve, or other areas (such as joints) are infected, surgery is usually required, and antibiotics are given for weeks or months.
More Information
The following English-language resource may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Salmonella: A resource providing information about Salmonella, including outbreaks and prevention
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
famotidine |
Heartburn Relief, Pepcid, Pepcid AC, Pepcid AC Maximum Strength, Zantac 360 |
omeprazole |
Prilosec, Prilosec OTC |
ciprofloxacin |
Cetraxal , Ciloxan, Cipro, Cipro XR, OTIPRIO, Proquin XR |
azithromycin |
Azasite, Zithromax, Zithromax Powder, Zithromax Single-Dose , Zithromax Tri-Pak, Zithromax Z-Pak, Zmax, Zmax Pediatric |
ceftriaxone |
Ceftrisol Plus, Rocephin |
trimethoprim |
Primsol, Proloprim, TRIMPEX |
