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Salmonella or Salmonellosis
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can infect the stomach and intestines and cause mild to severe diarrheal illness. Salmonella can spread from the intestines to blood, bones, or joints, where it can cause severe illness. Serious illness is more common in young children, elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection. Symptoms typically last 4 to 7 days and can include:
- Dehydration (fluid loss), especially among infants and the elderly
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Headache
- Stomach cramps
- Vomiting
Salmonella illness can be severe in persons with weakened immune systems.
People with this infection should NOT attend childcare or work as food handlers, healthcare providers or childcare workers until symptoms have stopped.
People infected with salmonella usually get better on their own and do not need any treatment other than fluids to prevent dehydration. People with more serious infections may require hospitalization or antibiotics prescribed by a doctor.
Salmonella can be killed by cooking and pasteurization of food. Some animals, such as reptiles, cannot be cured of salmonella and can spread the infection to people
- Cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly. Do not eat or drink foods containing raw eggs, or raw (unpasteurized) milk.
- If you are served undercooked meat, poultry or eggs in a restaurant, don't hesitate to send it back to the kitchen for further cooking.
- Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry.
- Be particularly careful with foods prepared for infants, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.
- Wash hands with soap after handling reptiles, birds, or baby chicks, and after contact with pet feces. Read more information about pocket pet safety.
- Avoid direct or even indirect contact between reptiles (turtles, iguanas, other lizards, snakes) and infants or immunocompromised persons.
- Don't work with raw poultry or meat, and an infant (e.g., feed, change diaper) at the same time.