According to Medline Plus, Salmonella is the most common source of food poisoning in the United States. Symptoms can last up to one week, but usually resolve without medical intervention. Salmonella poisoning is not life-threatening in the average healthy adult when it is restricted to the gastrointestinal tract. If it enters the blood system, there can be serious consequences. Hand washing is one of the best preventive measures.
Onset of Symptoms
After ingesting the bacteria, usually from eating inadequately cooked or improperly stored eggs or poultry, a person will begin to experience the symptoms of food poisoning. It takes somewhere between 8 and 72 hours for the incubation period, during which the bacteria multiply within the gastrointestinal tract. The Mayo Clinic lists common signs that poisoning has occurred as abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms may be accompanied by fever. Some people experience headache, chills or muscle aches. There may also be blood present in the stools.
Usual Course of Symptoms
Gastrointestinal manifestations and fever can last from 4 to 7 days. Over-the-counter medications for stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and fever-reduction are usually adequate to treat these symptoms. A person with salmonella food poisoning should be attentive to hydrating adequately, as severe vomiting and diarrhea can deplete body fluids and lead to dehydration.
The episode will normally run its course without complications. However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that after recovery, normal bowel habits may take as long as several months to be restored in some people.
Complications
Certain populations---including young children and some elderly people---can experience severe enough symptoms from Salmonella poisoning to require medical attention. They are more susceptible to dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting. The USDA notes other high-risks groups include infants, pregnant women and their unborn babies, people with HIV/AIDS, and transplant patients. These people have weaker immune systems. They are not as able to fight the bacterial infection and may need treatment with antibiotics in order to recover. Their symptoms can be displayed as a more persistent fever or longer-lasting course of illness.
A serious condition results if the bacteria cross from the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream. Without antibiotic therapy to treat the blood poisoning, death can result. Very rarely, symptoms of the foodborne illness can progress into a condition called Reiter's syndrome. This is characterized by joint pain, eye irritation and painful urination. This syndrome can progress to a type of arthritis that may last for months or years and is difficult to treat.
