Medically reviewed by Mia Dacumos, MD · Nephrology · Makati Medical Center
Salmonella infections, also known as salmonellosis, usually occur after eating raw or undercooked meat, chicken, eggs, or egg products. Once ingested, the salmonella bacteria passes through the stomach and can colonize the small and large intestine. This may cause salmonella food poisoning symptoms. In very rare cases (approximately 5% of all salmonella infections), the salmonella can spread to the blood, potentially damaging any organ within the body.
Salmonella has three clinical forms:
Salmonella food poisoning symptoms may take a few hours to around 2 days before they manifest. This period of time is known as an incubation period, or the time it takes for the bacteria to cause symptoms related to the illness.
Salmonella infections causing enteric fever may take up to three weeks before symptoms develop.
When salmonella passes its incubation period, the following symptoms associated with gastroenteritis may occur:
Not all symptoms will be present in patients with salmonellosis. In fact, the major symptom (cardinal symptom) of salmonellosis is diarrhea. This may be accompanied by a fever and chills.
The symptoms of salmonella gastroenteritis may last from 4 to 7 days, even without treatment. Diarrhea may persist for up to 10 days.
A person infected with salmonella can present with the following symptoms if they have an enteric fever form of the infection:
If the condition is untreated and allowed to progress further, the patient may become delirious, weak, fatigued. This is known as a “typhoid state.” It is at this point that the patient is at risk for life-threatening complications.
Signs and symptoms of typhoid fever may recur up to two weeks after the fever has been resolved.
Salmonella infections affecting the bloodstream can present as an on and off fever. Individuals with septicemia may show respiratory symptoms and diarrhea, but this is not so prominent in this form of salmonella infection.
As mentioned earlier, specific groups of people are at risk of severe salmonella infections. These groups include the very young, very old, and immunocompromised.
Those with the following illnesses are at greatest risk of developing severe salmonella:
Certain medical procedures, treatments, or conditions may also increase your risk of developing severe salmonella, such as:
If you notice the following symptoms, seek medical attention as soon as possible:
Salmonella infections may have very different symptoms. It is important to be able to identify salmonella food poisoning symptoms, as this can help differentiate it from its more severe forms. The more common form of this infection, gastroenteritis, can pass through your system even without treatment, and may only require treatment for dehydration.
Learn more about Infectious Diseases here.
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Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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