Salmonella poisoning, also called salmonellosis, is a common illness in the United States. Humans contract it when salmonella bacteria enter their intestines and wreaks havoc on their bodies. Generally, salmonella poisoning is something you can recover from at home, though it can lead to severe dehydration in extreme cases. Anyone who becomes dehydrated or suffers from symptoms for more than seven days should go to the hospital for treatment.
While it’s possible to have salmonella without developing symptoms, most people do suffer from some basic ones. They typically occur within three days of coming in contact with the bacteria, though symptoms may present themselves as soon as eight to ten hours. Abdominal cramps and diarrhea are the most common symptoms, and you may also come down with a fever. Nausea, vomiting, chills, dizziness, weakness, headache, and bloody stools are also possible. If you do have symptoms that impact your intestinal tract, you may find that they linger for up to 10 days.
For most healthy adults, salmonella poisoning isn’t life-threatening and clears up without medical intervention. However, it can have a greater impact on babies, younger children, and older adults. Women who are pregnant, people who have received organ transplants, and people who have a weak immune system due to conditions and diseases, like AIDs and sickle-cell disease, are also at a greater risk for developing complications after coming in contact with the bacteria. Some medications and medical treatments may also weaken the immune system and lead to complications.
The best way to prevent salmonella from spreading is to wash your hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom, changing diapers, handling pets, cleaning up pet feces, and handling raw meat. It’s also important to know the main causes of salmonella poisoning.
1. Uncooked meat, seafood, and poultry
The number one way people in the United States develop salmonella poisoning is by handling or eating uncooked meat, seafood, and poultry. When the animal is butchered, feces may get into the meat, and if the animal carries the bacteria in their system, it contaminates the meat you buy in stores. In the case of seafood, the creatures may live in contaminated waters before harvest.
Washing your hands after handling any type of raw protein is a must. It’s also important to avoid cross-contamination while working in the kitchen. Don’t use the same cutting board and knife for your chicken that you use for breads, fruits, and vegetables. If you put raw meat, poultry, or seafood on a plate or pan, don’t put it back on the same dish after you cook it. Always store your uncooked meat, poultry, and seafood properly in the refrigerator or freezer, and don’t let them touch other foods.
Finally, make sure you cook all meat, seafood, and poultry properly and to the right temperature. Serving it raw or under-cooked means you and your family may ingest the bacteria without knowing it. If you eat any of these foods at restaurants, inspect them before eating them to ensure they are cooked properly and don’t look unusual.
2. Uncooked eggs
If you’re a vegetarian, you aren’t necessarily safe from coming in contact with the bacteria in your kitchen. Just like uncooked meat, seafood, and poultry, uncooked eggs may contain salmonella. Most people don’t eat raw eggs, but they are found in various other foods you might enjoy. For example, if you love tasting that store-bought or homemade cookie dough before you pop the rest of it into the oven, you’re probably ingesting uncooked eggs. The same can be said for homemade ice cream, eggnog, meringues, and some dressings and sauces. If you must consume uncooked eggs, make sure the ones you choose are pasteurized to help eliminate bacteria.
3. Fruits and vegetables
Even vegans aren’t completely safe from developing salmonella, as it may also come from some of your fruits and vegetables. Fresh foods, particularly those imported from other countries, may have come in contact with contaminated water. In some cases, a farmer may have used contaminated manure to fertilize the fruits and vegetables. Also, if you are cooking and use the same knives, cutting boards, and dishes to prepare your vegetables as you did your raw meat, poultry, and seafood, you might contaminate it yourself. The best thing to do is buy locally-grown produce, wash it thoroughly, and wash your hands when cooking, especially if you’ve handled raw protein.
4. Lack of hygiene
Unfortunately, you can also develop salmonella from poor hygiene habits — either your own or someone else’s. Again, washing your hands frequently, especially after cooking or using the bathroom, is the best way to prevent this. Washing your hands before eating is another way to prevent the bacteria from entering your system. This is especially important for people who come in contact with others all day. The more hands you shake, the more likely you are to transfer some type of bacteria to your own body if those people don’t wash their hands when it’s appropriate. Keep in mind that you can also pick up the bacteria from petting or handling animals.
5. Keeping pet reptiles and amphibians
While almost any animal may carry salmonella bacteria, some are more prone than others. Anyone keeping pet reptiles and amphibians is at a greater risk than someone who simply has a dog or cat. As a matter of fact, most snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, and other reptiles and amphibians have salmonella in their intestines, though it does not make them sick. When they defecate, the feces contain the bacteria, and it can spread to anything it touches, including the cage or any surfaces your pet walks across. Always wash your hands after handling these types of animals and after you clean their cages. Be careful about where you allow your pet to walk and run, and if he or she does have an accident outside the cage, clean it properly.
6. Small rodents
Just like reptiles and amphibians, small rodents, like mice and hamsters, may also carry salmonella. Again, if you or your children have pets that fall into this category, wash your hands thoroughly after handling them. Many cases of children who have ended up in the hospital with poisoning from the bacteria originated because they handled or kissed a pet rodent. You can also catch it when you’re handling their cage or bedding, particularly when cleaning it out. Like other animals, the salmonella bacteria comes out of their system when they defecate, and it may contaminate any surface it comes in contact with.
