What Is Salmonellosis?
An infection with Salmonella bacteria usually affects the gastrointestinal system (the stomach and intestines) in humans. In more severe cases, Salmonella can spread to the blood, the bones, or even to the fluid around the brain, but these types of infection are less common.

Salmonella bacteria are often found in the feces (poop) of some animals, particularly reptiles. Iguanas, for example, carry Salmonella marina. People who have these animals as pets are at more risk of getting salmonellosis because the bacteria from a reptile's feces can get on its skin. Then, when people handle the reptiles, they get the bacteria on their hands. (Hand washing is a good way to reduce the risk of getting salmonellosis.)

Other strains of Salmonella can spread to people in foods that have come into contact with infected animal feces. These exposures happen when foods such as poultry, eggs, and beef are not cooked enough. Fruit and vegetables can also become contaminated from feces in the soil or water where they are grown.

What Are the Symptoms?
Symptoms of salmonellosis can include diarrhea that may be bloody, abdominal cramping and pain, and fever. These symptoms can take anywhere from 6 to 72 hours to appear after someone ingests the bacteria. Not everyone who swallows the bacteria will become ill. In most people, the illness lasts 4 to 7 days once symptoms begin.

Some strains of Salmonella can cause a more serious form of the disease known as typhoid or enteric fever. The symptoms of typhoid fever can include a prolonged fever, abdominal pain, headache, tiredness, a distinct rash, constipation or diarrhea, and a change in mental state. Typhoid fever is rare in the United States, but it can be common in developing countries.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself and Others?

• Wash your hands. Good hygiene is important if you want to reduce your risk of getting salmonellosis and other food-borne illnesses. You can help prevent salmonellosis by encouraging your family to wash their hands thoroughly and frequently, particularly after going to the bathroom and before preparing food.
   

• Be cautious with pets, especially reptiles. Wash your hands thoroughly after touching them or cleaning their cages. Small children should not have reptiles, especially turtles, as pets.
   

• Be careful about food preparation. Because the bacteria appear most often in animal foods, avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Proper cooking will kill Salmonella, so poultry and meat should be cooked to the proper temperature.

Eggs can carry Salmonella bacteria both inside and outside the shell. Infection from contamination outside the shell is much less common today because egg producers follow strict procedures for cleaning and inspecting eggs. But another form of Salmonella infection can contaminate eggs before the shells are formed. Your best bet is to avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs, like sunny-side up or poached eggs with a soft center.

How Is Salmonellosis Treated?
If you think you may have salmonellosis, make an appointment to see your doctor. Because many different illnesses can cause similar symptoms, the doctor may send a stool (poop) sample to the lab for testing.

If you do have salmonellosis and the infection is not severe (that is, it has not spread beyond the gastrointestinal system), your doctor will probably let you get better on your own.

The doctor probably will not give you antibiotics unless you have a severe infection or you're in a high-risk group and unable to fight off the infection. Antibiotics do not appear to benefit healthy teens with nonsevere Salmonella — and may actually lengthen the amount of time someone is carrying the bacteria. Some people with salmonellosis may have to stay in the hospital to be treated for dehydration (an abnormally low level of fluid in the body), which can be a complication of any type of diarrhea.

A severe Salmonella infection will require further testing to determine the specific type behind the illness and which antibiotics can be used to treat it.

People who are infected with Salmonella may still be contagious from several days to several weeks after they've been infected — even if their symptoms have disappeared or they've been treated with antibiotics. So while you recover, be sure to wash your hands frequently and don't share your food or drinks with anyone. And if you work in a restaurant or your work involves handling food, check with your doctor before returning to work