People get sick with salmonella after eating undercooked meat. The microbes can lurk in different pathways that can lead to human illness. Here’s what you need to know about this bacteria, and how to keep your family safe. Let’s find out
What is Salmonella Infection?
Salmonella infection is a disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria live in animal and human intestines. Humans get infection through contaminated water or food.
People with salmonella infection have symptoms within 8 to 72 hours after exposure. Most healthy people recover within a few days. In some cases, diarrhea causes dehydration and requires medical care. Life-threatening complications spread beyond the intestines. The risk of getting salmonella infection is higher without clean drinking water.
Symptoms
Raw and uncooked food causes Salmonella infection, poultry, and eggs or drinking unpasteurized milk. The time between exposure and illness can be 6 hours. People getting salmonella infection think they have stomach flu.
Signs of salmonella infection include:
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chills
- Headache
- Blood in the stool
Symptoms of salmonella infection last for a week. Diarrhea lasts for 10 days, but it may take several months, sometimes. Salmonella bacteria result in typhoid fever which is a deadly disease in developing countries.
Duration
- Salmonella infections are usually cured in 7 days.
What Causes Salmonella or Texas Bacteria?
Salmonella causes, when it gets into your body, you get an infection that causes fever. Salmonella bacteria live in the guts, we eat, drink can also be contaminated. This includes raw eggs and eggshells.
- Raw red meat
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Unpasteurized milk
- No boiling water.
- The fur, feathers, skin and feces of animals.
- Around someone who is already suffering from Salmonella bacteria.
Who Is At Risk For Salmonella?
Anyone can get salmonella for infection or serious illness. It depends on your age and your living conditions. You live or work around chickens, ducks, turtles and lizards. Take antacids and live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Children under the age of 5 at risk for illness from a Salmonella infection. Over the age of 65 have a weak immune system due to HIV and chemotherapy. Have sickle cell disease that puts you at risk for osteomyelitis.
How Do You Get Salmonella?
The way to get salmonella is from undercooked food includes:
- Eating contaminated fruits.
- Drink unpasteurized milk.
- You can get Salmonella bacteria on your hands when you touch an animal bacteria on its fur, feathers. This includes:
- Birds (chicken, ducks, turkey and wild birds).
- Farm animals (cows, goats, sheep and pigs).
- Pets (dogs, cats, birds and small animals).
How is Salmonella diagnosed?
We can diagnose Salmonella with a test of your stool and blood. Physical exam will prove the presence of Salmonella.
What Tests Diagnose Salmonella?
- Stool sample. You give a sample of your poop. Your healthcare provider will give you a sterile container to put your feces inside it. A lab will test signs of Salmonella bacteria.
- Blood sample. Your provider will collect blood. A lab will try to grow Salmonella bacteria with the help of your blood sample.
What Happens If You Get Salmonella?
When you get salmonella, it means enough bacteria have passed your stomach acid to make you sick. Salmonella bacteria destroy the cells in your intestines. This makes it difficult for the body to absorb water. The water gets out of your body in terms of diarrhea.
What are the Causes of Salmonella?
Many kinds of food, peanut butter, packaged meats and frozen food. Salmonella outbreaks from turtles, lizards, chickens and guinea pigs etc.
Symptoms
Symptoms of salmonella appear from a few hours after the bacteria administers the body. Symptoms of salmonella affect your stomach include:
- Diarrhea
- Fever.
- Stomach pains
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Headache.
How is Salmonella Treated?
You don’t treat salmonella with medication with illness or at high risk for complications. Healthcare providers treat with antibiotics. If you have diarrhea, you need hospitalization. You should drink plenty of fluids with IV fluids if you’re dehydrated.
What Medicines Treat Salmonella?
If you need antibiotics, healthcare provider prescribe:
- Ciprofloxacin.
- Ceftriaxone.
- Azithromycin.
When to see a doctor
Most people don’t need medical attention for salmonella infection because it clears up on its own. Infant or adult with a weakened immune system needs to call a healthcare provider. Lasts more than a few days with bloody stools. Appears to be urinating less than usual and dark-colored urine.
