|  | Conditions Treatments | Illness

Signs & Symptoms of Salmonella in Wounds

Salmonella is a bacteria that can sometimes cause serious infection in humans. The Mayo Clinic reports that there are more than 2000 varieties of salmonella in existence, but only a dozen strands of it pose a threat to human beings. Salmonella is found most commonly in food-poisoning cases where it can lead to gastroenteritis, but it can also cause typhoid fever in some cases. If salmonella infects an open wound, the symptoms can be dangerous, and the wound needs immediate treatment.

  1. Fever

    • Fever and flu-like symptoms can start within an hour of a wound being infected with salmonella. The patent's body temperature will increase as the body tries to flush out the new infection, and severe inflammation can result. The patient can experience a headache in relation to the flu-like symptoms, and dizziness may result as well. Joint pain is frequent in relation to the fever as well, and the patient may start having either hot or cold spells and severe sweats.

    Cough

    • Once salmonella infects an open wound, the patient can develop a severe cough and shortness of breath very quickly as the bacteria spreads throughout the body via the bloodstream. The lungs can become inflamed, and the coughs can produce a thick mucous as the body tries to trap the bacteria and expel it from the body.

    Nausea

    • Nausea and vomiting are both frequent side effects of a wound infection, and salmonella can bring about these symptoms within the first few hours, or it can occasionally be delayed for up to 48 hours. The nausea can occur whether there is anything in the patient's stomach or not. The nausea and vomiting can last 3 to 5 days and can become more severe if antibiotics are not administered early during infection.

    Mental Confusion

    • A more severe symptom that can come from a salmonella wound infection if it is not treated effectively is mental confusion, tremors, Parkinson's-type symptoms and difficulty learning. These symptoms can occur weeks after the initial wound infection and get more severe as the brain becomes inflamed and the cerebral cortex suffers damage as a result.

Illness - Related Articles