Salmonella is a bacterium that lives on the surfaces of contaminated foods and in infected water and soil. Salmonella causes illness in humans who ingest an infected source, such as tomatoes. Tomatoes grown with salmonella-infested water and soil may become contaminated. Salmonella infects skin of the tomato and may enter inside the tomato through the stem joint, or via small dents or scars on the tomato surface. Salmonella symptoms appear quickly after ingesting contaminated tomatoes.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Salmonella irritates the intestinal lining, resulting in abdominal pain, intestinal cramps or spasms. Abdominal discomfort is generally felt below the belly button. Diarrhea will also develop as the body attempts to flush salmonella from the intestine. Mayo Clinic.com advises that diarrhea may develop 12 to 72 hours after ingesting a tomato infected with salmonella. Stools may contain mucous or blood. Abdominal bloating and flatulence may also occur. Nausea and vomiting are additional gastrointestinal symptoms. A person with salmonella may experience nausea or dry heaves.
Joint Pain
Joint pain may develop in some individuals with salmonella infection. Reactive arthritis, a complication of salmonella infection, causes inflammation of muscles and joints and may appear on one side of the body or the other. A person may suffer from heel pain and pain in the large joints; hips, knees and ankles. Pain may be mild or severe, according to Medline Plus, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Joint pain symptoms may appear one to three weeks after ingesting salmonella-contaminated food.
Additional Symptoms
A range of additional symptoms may accompany salmonella infection. A person may experience painful urination, or dysuria, and red, irritated eyes, which can be additional symptoms of reactive arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control warns that a blood infection, called septicemia, can occur if salmonella leaks into the bloodstream from the intestine. Fever, chills, body aches and lethargy, or extreme fatigue, may occur. Dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting may also complicate salmonella infection. Dry mouth, itchy skin and the absence of tears indicate dehydration is likely. The CDC advises that medical treatment be sought for symptoms of septicemia or dehydration to prevent medical complications.
