Salmonella is a type of bacteria that causes a bacterial infection called salmonellosis. It can cause three types of illnesses, including gastroenteritis, bacteremia and typhoid fever. Gastroenteritis is a form of food poisoning. Bacteremia is a condition characterized by bacteria in the bloodstream. According to the Mayo Clinic, most people who become infected with salmonella got infected by eating contaminated food, which can cause gastroenteritis. The contamination of food can lead to outbreaks of salmonella. These outbreaks can be regional. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an occurrence of eggs infected with salmonella mostly affected the northeastern United States.
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is caused by salmonella in the digestive tract. According to the University of Michigan Medical Center, symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, vomiting and nausea. The diarrhea may have blood in it and last three to five days. There can also be fever and chills. The symptoms of gastroenteritis first appear 12 hours to three days after eating infected food.
Foods
There are certain foods that are associated with outbreaks of salmonella. These foods include seafood, poultry and raw meat. Meat and poultry can become infected with salmonella during the butchering process. Seafood can become contaminated in water that has salmonella. Eggs are also associated with salmonella outbreaks. Even though the egg shells may be intact, the eggs can be contaminated when the hens that lay them are infected. Fruits and vegetables are associated with salmonella outbreaks too. They can become contaminated during preparation or processing with contaminated water.
Bacteremia
Bacteremia is a form of blood infection by salmonella. It is most prevalent in people with weakened immune systems. The symptoms of bacteremia include episodes of fever that come and go over a period of several days. There is also pain around the lungs and heart. Pain is also felt in joints.
Typhoid Fever
The symptoms of typhoid fever include headaches, fever, rash and sore throat. There can also be diarrhea or constipation. Coughing is also associated with typhoid fever.
Occurrences
According to NPR, outbreaks of salmonella are not uncommon. In one year, there were several thousand infections reported from a single outbreak during a three-month period. The outbreak was traced to contamination of serrano and jalapeno peppers.
