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Salmonella Disease Symptoms

A salmonella infection can strike quickly and cause severe symptoms in a short period of time. The normal method of testing for a salmonella infection is by using a stool sample, but because the condition travels through the body so quickly it may take a faster test such as a blood test to get an accurate diagnosis while the person is still suffering from the condition.

  1. Identification

    • Salmonella bacteria are common, with over 2,500 different kinds in existence; however, only 12 strains of the bacteria are harmful to humans. Salmonella bacteria normally reside inside the digestive tracts of humans and animals, and humans can become infected by the bacteria through exposure to tainted food or water. Doctors suggest that good hygiene habits, such as washing hands before eating, can help to decrease the possibility of getting a salmonella infection.

    Gastroenteritis

    • The most common condition caused by salmonella bacteria is gastroenteritis. The symptoms of this condition are severe abdominal pain, nausea that could lead to vomiting, chronic diarrhea, a high fever that may be accompanied by chills and night sweats, a general achy feeling primarily in the muscles, the appearance of blood in the stool, and a sudden but severe headache.

    Typhoid Fever

    • The other condition that could result from salmonella bacteria is the more serious typhoid fever. The symptoms associated with typhoid fever are a very high temperature, usually between 102 and 105 degrees F, small red spots that suddenly appear on the chest, alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation, a persistent cough, and a feeling of confusion or anxiety that appears for no reason and gets increasingly worse.

    Prevention/Solution

    • The most common treatment for a salmonella infection is a series of antibiotics. For cases of gastroenteritis there may be severe symptoms for a day or two, and then another four or five days of recovery without need for additional treatment. With typhoid fever there may be the need for intravenous antibiotics dispensed in a hospital. The important thing with treating a salmonella infection is to keep enough fluids in the body as symptoms such as persistent diarrhea have a tendency to cause dehydration.

    Considerations

    • The Mayo Clinic lists some of the risk factors that increase the chances of getting a salmonella infection as owning a pet such as a bird or a reptile, living in a large group such as in a college dormitory, excessive travel especially to foreign countries, and having a condition that weakens the immune system such as HIV, AIDS or cancer.

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