Eating Contaminated Food
Salmonella is a type of bacterial foodborne illness, a microscopic bacilli that attacks the digestive system. It eventually leads to extreme gastrointestinal distress including diarrhea. It is often mistaken for viral gastroenteritis or the stomach flu. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, fever, muscle pain and body chills.
It is often difficult to figure out if food is contaminated with salmonella because there is often no sign of rotten food, changes in color or even foul smelling food. Someone can get salmonella when they eat the meat of directly contaminated food. Some of the most common carriers of salmonella include poultry, eggs, water, meat and unpasteurized milk and dairy products. Food needs to be cooked thoroughly and completely in order to completely kill salmonella.
Handling Salmonella Contaminates
People can also become infected with salmonella by handling items that have been contaminated or tainted with the bacteria. Reptiles such as turtles, lizards and snakes can all carry salmonella in their digestive system. Humans can get salmonella from them by touching their skin. Wash your hands immediately after touching a reptile.
A person who handles raw eggs or meat is at a great risk of developing the illness. If she puts her hands in her mouth, she could easily get sick.
Cross Contamination
It is easy to get salmonella via cross contamination. This occurs when the feces from a contaminated animal reaches the water or soil and then spreads to another living thing. This can easily happen when contaminated livestock defecate into the soil. If the rain washes the soil into the water or grass where other animals eat or plants grow, salmonella can spread. If the area where the feces is reaches a river or well, it can seep into wells where people can drink contaminated well water.
Cross contamination can also occur when raw juices seep into other fresh or cooked food sources. This may include a surface on which food is prepared or served such as a plate, dish, cutting board, counter top or sink.
