Salmonella is a common source of bacterial food poisoning. Salmonella can be contracted by eating undercooked or poorly prepared food, including poultry and eggs. Salmonella food poisoning typically causes problems with the intestines and can lead to severe intestinal pain, diarrhea and nausea. In some cases the bacteria can also get into the blood, where it can cause a more serious infection. Salmonella poisoning can usually be identified by finding the bacteria in the patient's body.
Step 1
Obtain a stool sample. Lab Tests Online notes that the most common way of testing for salmonella poisoning involves checking the stool for the bacteria. This requires a fresh sample of feces from the patient, preferably one that is uncontaminated with urine.
Step 2
Culture the bacteria present in the feces. This typically involves taking a portion of the fecal material, mixing it in a liquid solution to suspend any bacteria present in the feces and then spreading this bacteria-filled solution on a material that is designed to help bacteria grow, such as agar. The individual bacteria will then be able to grow and form colonies.
Step 3
Analyze the bacteria colonies on the agar. The bacteria in the colonies can be identified by examining the bacteria from the colonies under a microscope.
Step 4
Test the blood for anti-salmonella antibodies. The Mayo Clinic notes that in some cases, the salmonella bacteria can spread to the bloodstream. Blood samples can be tested for the bacteria using special test kits that look for the presence of antibodies---which are made by the immune system in response to the salmonella infection---in the bloodstream.
