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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
Diagnosis and Tests
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Bacteria Culture Test
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Salmonella Diagnosis and Treatment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Stool Tests (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Enjoying Homemade Ice Cream without the Risk of Salmonella Infection (Food and Drug Administration)
- Salmonella Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Shell Eggs from Farm to Table (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) Also in Spanish
- Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Salmonella from Eggs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Typhoid Vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Salmonella: Dry Pet Foods and Pet Treats (FAQ) (American Veterinary Medical Association)
- Spring and Baby Poultry are Here! (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Take Care with Pet Reptiles (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Salmonella Is a Sneaky Germ: Seven Tips for Safer Eating (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Travelers' Health: Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Images
- Typhoid Fever (Logical Images)
Statistics and Research
- CDC Vital Signs: Making Food Safer to Eat (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
Novel Structure and Function of Typhoid Toxin
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Salmonella Infections
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Typhoid Fever
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Infection, colonization and shedding of Campylobacter and Salmonella in animals and...
- Article: Current Challenges and Perspectives for the Use of Aqueous Plant Extracts...
- Article: Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of salmonella infection.
- Salmonella Infections -- see more articles
- Salmonella food poisoning -- see more articles
- Typhoid fever -- see more articles
Children
- Salmonella Infections (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Salmonellosis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Women
- Pregnancy Complications: Salmonellosis (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Salmonella enterocolitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Typhoid fever (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Typhoid Vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish