What is Salmonellosis?
Salmonella is a rod-shaped bacteria that can live in a variety of conditions including in water, soil, raw meats, raw poultry, eggs, animal feces, insects, and raw seafood. Once the bacteria is ingested by a human host, within 6 to 48 hours Salmonella will pass through the stomach to the intestine where it causes inflammation and the production of toxins. The resulting condition often includes nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea , and fever. The symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days and salmonellosis often subsides on its own.
This condition can be serious in vulnerable populations, including the elderly and infants, and should be treated by a physician in those cases. Rarely, more serious complications, such as endocarditis , bacteremia, osteomyelitis , and localized infections, can occur.