Salmonellosis
Definition
Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called
salmonella. Salmonella
can grow in a variety of places, such as water, raw meat, seafood, certain pets, and eggs.
Causes
Salmonellosis is caused by ingestion of a strain of bacteria called salmonella. After the bacteria are ingested, within 6-48 hours
they will pass through the stomach to the intestine where inflammation occurs and spreads.
Risk Factors
Factors that increase your chance of salmonellosis include:
- Eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, fish, or seafood
- Eating unpasteurized dairy products
- Eating other contaminated foods
- Drinking contaminated water
- Handling reptiles, especially turtles
- Taking antibiotics
- A compromised immune system, such as in:
- Elderly
persons
- Infants
-
People with
HIV/AIDS
- People with low stomach acidity, such as those who take medication that reduces stomach acid
Symptoms
Symptoms occur within 12-72 hours and may include:
- Nausea
-
Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Headaches
Diagnosis
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Your doctor may
test your stool or blood to confirm presence of
the bacteria
Treatment
Over-the-counter medications or oral rehydration solutions may be used to treat the symptoms of salmonellosis. The symptoms will usually improve on their own within 2-5 days. If symptoms are severe, talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment options include the following:
- Rehydration therapy—
Oral or IV fluid replacement is needed; electrolytes may also be added to the solution.
- Acetaminophen
or
ibuprofen—Over-the-counter pain relievers may be used to reduce fever or treat headaches and other pain.
- Antibiotics—These are required only in severe cases
where blood infection may occur. Antibiotic use in non-severe cases does not improve a person's outcome. It may cause the bacteria to stay longer in your system.
Prevention
To help reduce your chance of salmonellosis:
-
Frequently
wash hands
and surfaces.
- Wash hands and cutting boards with hot soapy water before and after handling raw foods.
- Wash
utensils thoroughly
after
using them on
raw meats, fish, or poultry.
- Do not use the same cutting boards for raw meats and raw vegetables.
- Do not drink unpasteurized milk.
- Drink bottled or purified water when traveling.
- Cook all foods to appropriate temperatures.
- Place foods in the refrigerator promptly.
- Wash hands after handling reptiles.
- Certain medications, like those to reduce stomach acid, may increase your risk for salmonellosis. Talk to your doctor about this risk.
Resources
Partnership for Food Safety Education
http://www.fightbac.org
US Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov
Canadian Resources
Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education
http://www.canfightbac.org
Public Health Agency of Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca
References
Benenson A.
Salmonellosis. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual.
American Public Health Association. 1996:410-414.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Use of a self-assessment
questionnaire for food safety education in the home kitchen—Los Angeles
County, California, 2006-2008.
MMWR.
2010;59(34):1098-101.
Edwards BH. Salmonella and shigella species.
Clin Lab Med. 1999;19(3):469-487.
Heymann D. Salmonellosis. In: American Public Health Association.
Control of Communicable Diseases Manual.
2004;469-473.
Koningstein M, Simonsen J, Helms M, Molbak K. The interaction between prior
antimicrobial drug exposure and resistance in human Salmonella infections.
J
Antimicrob Chemother. 2010;65(8):1819-1825.
Salmonellosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella. Updated June 2, 2016. Accessed June 7, 2016.
Nontyphoidal salmonellosis. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T113807/Nontyphoidal-salmonellosis. Updated September 6, 2016. Accessed September 29, 2016.