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Symptoms of Salmonella

The symptoms of salmonella, which can include diarrhea and nausea, generally show up between 12 to 72 hours after you have eaten or drunk infected food or water. The symptoms experienced may be mild and last from four to seven days, or they may become more serious, requiring hospitalization. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), this is more likely to occur with infants and the elderly (see link in References Section below).

  1. Salmonella Defined

    • Salmonella are microscopic bacteria found in the feces of humans and animals. There are several types, but the two most common in America are Typhimurium and Enteritidis, generally producing the side effects of diarrhea and nausea. Of the 40,000 approximate cases of salmonella reported in the United States each year (more often in summer than winter); an estimated 400 individuals die from acute Salmonellosis, according to the CDC.

    Effects

    • Diarrhea, nausea, fever and abdominal cramps are symptoms you can experience with a case of salmonella infection, according to the CDC. However, there may also be others too: chills, sweats, fatigue, headache and dehydration. In addition, sometimes blood or mucus is present in the diarrhea as well, according to Drugs.com (see link in References Section below).

    Rarer Symptoms

    • Other symptoms that can occur due to salmonella, but are rarer (and known as Reiter's Syndrome) include joint pain, eye irritation, and urination difficulties. These side effects can last anywhere from one month to several years, and they occur when the salmonella spreads outside the human intestinal area. Salmonella originate from feces of both humans and animal. But it is animal feces that pose the greatest risk of spreading beyond the intestines and causing these rarer side effects and necessitating antibiotic treatment.

    Animals vs. Human-Caused Effects

    • Animals that eat the feces of other animals and are then slaughtered later for human consumption (meat), or produce items to be consumed by humans (milk, eggs), can cause more serious symptoms than an unclean food service worker (Reiter's Syndrome). This is because the salmonella in the animal product is embedded inside the meat or eggs, not just on the surface of the food. There is always the chance that bacteria on foods handled by unsanitary food workers could be killed or removed during some food preparation processes, but bacteria embedded in the food itself will likely not be.

    Reiter's Symptoms and Antibiotic Resistance

    • When the symptoms of Reiter's Syndrome occur (joint pain, eye irritation, and urination problems), antibiotics are normally prescribed. However, increased use of antibiotics on some animal livestock in the United States (in order to promote their growth) is contributing to a growing antibiotic resistance among animals. Therefore, antibiotic treatment may not be successful in these types of salmonella infections.

    Warning

    • If Reiter's Syndrome develops due to salmonella, the infected individual could also experience another serious effect: chronic arthritis. Chronic arthritis is a serious and long-term side effect of salmonella. But the most serious side effect of all is death.

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