Symptoms Of Salmonella

Salmonella, formally known as salmonellosis, is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States and affects over one million individuals per year. The salmonella bacteria can be found in the intestines of many animals, including poultry, pigs, reptiles, amphibians, pets, and sometimes humans. The bacteria’s hosts spread them through their feces, and if water contaminated by those feces is used in crop irrigation, those crops are also contaminated. Nuts, fruits, and vegetables can all be contaminated with salmonella, along with raw or undercooked animal products like meat, fish, eggs, or unpasteurized dairy products like milk or cheese. Unfortunately, contaminated food doesn’t look or smell any different than normal food. Thus, individuals have to check the Center for Disease Control's and Food and Drug Administration's websites for information about salmonella outbreaks and contaminated products.

A few fortunate individuals who get infected with salmonella don’t get ill, but most develop symptoms involving the gastrointestinal tract within twelve to seventy-two hours of getting infected and usually last up to a week. Get to know these symptoms now.

Nausea And Vomiting

Salmonellosis, the disease caused by salmonella, usually takes the form of an illness called acute gastroenteritis and the symptoms can range from mild to severe. Nausea and vomiting are the most common symptoms of salmonellosis. As they can cause dehydration, the patient should drink plenty of water. However, they should avoid drinking water immediately after a bout of sickness, for doing so will likely make them throw up again. It is far more prudent to wait until they stop feeling nauseous and then drink slowly. If the patient does get thirsty while feeling nauseous, they should suck on ice chips or drink small sips.

Continue reading now to reveal more symptoms to watch for.

Fever And Chills

Nearly all patients with salmonellosis develop a fever and chills. In fact, an abnormally high temperature that accompanies the various gastrointestinal symptoms described here can indicate the patient has salmonella poisoning. Dehydration can make this symptom worse, as it impairs the body’s ability to regulate its temperature. While most patients can recover on their own, they should go to a doctor if their temperature gets higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Some species of the salmonella bacteria can cause typhoid fever, which can be lethal. Extremely high temperature is actually one of the symptoms of typhoid fever. Patients should also go to a doctor if they develop joint pain, eye irritation, or painful urination, for such symptoms can mean the bacteria have spread to other parts of the body.

Keep reading for more symptoms of salmonella now.