How long after ingesting salmonella




















Not everyone who ingests Salmonella bacteria will become ill. Children, especially infants, are most likely to get sick from it. People at risk for more serious complications from a Salmonella infection include those who:.

In these higher-risk groups, most doctors will treat an infection with antibiotics to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body. Antibiotics do not appear to help a healthy person whose infection is not severe — and may actually lengthen the amount of time the person will carry the bacteria.

Because many different illnesses can cause similar symptoms such as nausea, fever, cramping, and diarrhea , doctors may send a stool poop sample to the lab for testing. A severe Salmonella infection will require more testing to see which specific germ is causing the illness and which antibiotics can be used to treat it. If you have salmonellosis and a healthy immune system, your doctor may let the infection pass without giving any medicines. If you have a fever, you may want to take acetaminophen to lower the temperature and relieve cramping.

As with any infection that causes diarrhea, it's important to drink plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration. Salmonellosis symptoms can take from 6 to 72 hours to start after someone ingests the bacteria.

In most people, the illness lasts for 4 to 7 days after symptoms begin. Hand washing is a powerful way to guard against Salmonella infections. So wash your hands well and often, particularly after trips to the bathroom and before handling food. Reviewed by: Rebecca L. Gill, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Salmonella can spread to people in foods contaminated by infected animal feces. This can happen when foods such as poultry, eggs, and beef are not cooked enough.

Fruit and vegetables can also be contaminated from feces in the soil or water where they're grown. People with salmonellosis can spread the infection from several days to several weeks after they've been infected — even if their symptoms have disappeared or they've been treated with antibiotics.

Not everyone who ingests Salmonella bacteria will become ill. Children, especially infants, are most likely to get sick from it. About 50, cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States each year and about one third of those are in kids 4 years old or younger. People at risk for more serious complications from a Salmonella infection include those who:. In these higher-risk groups, most doctors will treat an infection with antibiotics to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.

Antibiotics do not appear to help a healthy person whose infection is not severe — and may actually lengthen the amount of time the person will carry the bacteria. Because many different illnesses can cause similar symptoms such as nausea, fever, cramping, and diarrhea , doctors may send a stool poop sample to the lab for testing.

A severe Salmonella infection will require more testing to see which specific germ is causing the illness and which antibiotics can be used to treat it. If your child has salmonellosis and a healthy immune system, your doctor may let the infection pass without giving any medicines.

But any time a child develops a fever, headache, or bloody diarrhea, call the doctor to rule out any other problems. If your child is infected and has a fever, you may want to give acetaminophen to lower the temperature and relieve cramping. As with any infection that causes diarrhea, it's important to give your child plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration.

Salmonellosis symptoms can take from 6 to 72 hours to start after someone ingests the bacteria. In most people, the illness lasts for 4 to 7 days after symptoms begin. Hand washing is a powerful way to guard against Salmonella infections. So teach kids to wash their hands well and often, particularly after trips to the bathroom and before handling food. For example, strong stomach acid can kill many types of salmonella bacteria.

But some medical problems or medications can short-circuit these natural defenses. Examples include:. The following medical problems or medications appear to increase your risk of contracting salmonella by impairing your immune system. Salmonella infection usually isn't life-threatening. However, in certain people — especially infants and young children, older adults, transplant recipients, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems — the development of complications can be dangerous.

If you can't drink enough to replace the fluid you're losing from persistent diarrhea, you may become dehydrated. Warning signs include:. If salmonella infection enters your bloodstream bacteremia , it can infect tissues throughout your body, including:. People who have had salmonella are at higher risk of developing reactive arthritis. Also known as Reiter's syndrome, reactive arthritis typically causes:.

The Department of Agriculture has created a Salmonella Action Plan, which involves updating the poultry slaughter inspection system and enhancing sampling and testing programs for poultry and meat.

The plan's purpose is to cut the number of salmonella infections in the United States. You can also take care to avoid spreading bacteria to others. Preventive methods are especially important when preparing food or providing care for infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

Be sure to cook food thoroughly and refrigerate or freeze food promptly. Washing your hands thoroughly can help prevent the transfer of salmonella bacteria to your mouth or to any food you're preparing. Wash your hands after you:. Cookie dough, homemade ice cream and eggnog all contain raw eggs. If you must consume raw eggs, make sure they've been pasteurized. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.



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