Salmonella is the name of a group of bacteria. In the United States, it is a common cause of foodborne illness. Salmonella occurs in raw poultry, eggs, beef, and sometimes on unwashed fruit and vegetables. You also can get infected after handling pets, especially reptiles like snakes, turtles, and lizards.

Symptoms include

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Headache
• Possible nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite

Symptoms usually last 4-7 days. Your health care provider diagnoses the infection with a stool test. Most people get better without treatment. Infection can be more serious in the elderly, infants, and people with chronic health problems. If Salmonella gets into the bloodstream, it can be serious. The usual treatment is antibiotics.

Typhoid fever, a more serious disease caused by Salmonella, is not common in the United States. It frequently occurs in developing countries.

What are Salmonella?

Salmonella are bacteria that make people sick. They were first discovered by an American scientist named Dr. Daniel E. Salmon in 1885.

What are the symptoms of infection?

Most people with Salmonella infection have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.

Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days. However, some people do not develop symptoms for several weeks after infection and others experience symptoms for several weeks.

Salmonella strains sometimes cause infection in urine, blood, bones, joints, or the nervous system (spinal fluid and brain), and can cause severe disease.

Salmonella are a diverse group of bacteria.

Scientists classify Salmonella into serotypes (types) by identifying structures on the bacteria’s surfaces. Although more than 2,500 serotypes have been described, fewer than 100 are known to cause human infections.

How is Salmonella infection diagnosed?

Salmonella infection is diagnosed when a laboratory test detects Salmonella bacteria in a person’s stool (poop), body tissue, or fluids.

Can infection cause long-term health problems?

Most people with diarrhea caused by Salmonella recover completely, although some people’s bowel habits (frequency and consistency of poop) may not return to normal for a few months.

Some people with Salmonella infection develop pain in their joints, called reactive arthritis, after the infection has ended. Reactive arthritis can last for months or years and can be difficult to treat. Some people with reactive arthritis develop irritation of the eyes and pain when urinating.

Who is more likely to get an infection and severe illness?

• Children under 5 years old are the most likely to get a Salmonella infection.
• Infants (children younger than 12 months) who are not breast fed are more likely to get a Salmonella infection.
• Infants, adults aged 65 and older, and people with a weakened immune system are the most likely to have severe infections.
• People taking certain medicines (for example, stomach acid reducers) are at increased risk of infection.

Salmonella bacteria are the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. In order to reduce salmonellosis, a comprehensive farm-to-table approach to food safety is necessary. Farmers, industry, food inspectors, retailers, food service workers, and consumers are each critical links in the food safety chain. Having a better understanding of Salmonella, its causes, and how to prevent it will help you do your part to keep food safe.

What is Salmonella

Salmonella is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacilli that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are microscopic living creatures that pass from the feces of people or animals to other people or other animals.

The Salmonella family includes over 2,300 serotypes of bacteria which are one-celled organisms too small to be seen without a microscope. Two serotypes, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium are the most common in the United States and account for half of all human infections. Strains that cause no symptoms in animals can make people sick, and vice versa. If present in food, it does not usually affect the taste, smell, or appearance of the food. The bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of infected animals and humans.

Salmonella bacteria have been known to cause illness for over 100 years. They were discovered by an American scientist, Dr. Daniel E. Salmon.

What is salmonellosis?

Salmonellosis is an infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), salmonellosis causes an estimated 1.4 million cases of foodborne illness and more than 400 deaths annually in the United States. The Surveillance Report from the Food Diseases Active Surveillance (FoodNet) for 2007, identified Salmonella as the most common bacterial infection reported.

FoodNet is a collaborative project among CDC, the 10 Emerging Infections Program sites (EPIs), USDA, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the objectives of FoodNet is to measure effectiveness of a variety of preventive measures in reducing the incidence of foodborne illness attributable to the consumption of meat, poultry, and other foods.

What are the symptoms of salmonellosis?

Although in some people salmonellosis could asymptomatic, most people experience diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 8 to 72 hours after the contaminated food was eaten. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms usually disappear within 4 to 7 days. Many people with salmonellosis recover without treatment and may never see a doctor. However, Salmonella infections can be life-threatening especially for infants and young children, pregnant women and their unborn babies, and older adults, who are at a higher risk for foodborne illness, as are people with weakened immune systems (such as those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and transplant patients).

Are there long-term consequences?

Persons with diarrhea usually recover completely, although it may be several months before their bowel habits are entirely normal. A small number of persons who are infected with Salmonella may develop pains in their joints, irritation of the eyes, and painful urination. This is called Reiter's syndrome. It can last for months or years and can lead to chronic arthritis that is difficult to treat.

How do people get salmonellosis?

Salmonella lives in the intestinal tract of humans and other animals, including birds. Salmonella is usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Salmonella present on raw meat and poultry could survive if the product is not cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature, as measured with a food thermometer. Salmonella can also cause foodborne illness (salmonellosis) through cross-contamination, e.g., when juices from raw meat or poultry come in contact with ready-to-eat foods, such as salads.

Food may also become contaminated by the unwashed hands of an infected food handler who might or might not be showing symptoms. Salmonella can also be found in the feces of some pets, especially those with diarrhea. People can become infected if they do not wash their hands after contact with these feces. Reptiles are particularly likely to harbor Salmonella. People should always wash their hands immediately after handling a reptile, even if the reptile is healthy.

What foods are most likely to make people sick?

Any raw food of animal origin, such as meat, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, seafood, and some fruits and vegetables may carry Salmonella bacteria. The bacteria can survive to cause illness if meat, poultry, and egg products are not cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer and fruits and vegetables are not thoroughly washed. The bacteria can also contaminate other foods that come in contact with raw meat and poultry. Safe food handling practices are necessary to prevent bacteria on raw food from causing illness.

Are chickens labeled "Kosher," "free-range," "organic," or "natural" lower in Salmonella bacteria?

FSIS does not know of any valid scientific information that shows that any specific type of chicken has more or less Salmonella bacteria than other poultry.

What is FSIS doing to prevent Salmonella contamination?

The Food Safety and Inspection Service is the public health regulatory Agency in the USDA responsible for the safety of the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry and egg products. As part of this responsibility, FSIS issued the "Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) Systems, Final Rule" in 1996. This rule sets Salmonella performance standards for establishments slaughtering selected classes of food animals or those producing selected classes of raw ground products to verify that industry systems are effective in controlling the contamination of raw meat and poultry products with disease-causing bacteria, like Salmonella.

FSIS inspectors make sure the establishments are meeting the standards by collecting randomly selected product samples and submitting them to an FSIS laboratory for Salmonella analysis. FSIS requires all plants to reduce bacteria by means of the PR/HACCP system.

How can consumers prevent salmonellosis?

Bacteria on raw foods of animal origin do not have to cause illness. The key to preventing illness at home, in a restaurant, at a church picnic, or anywhere else is to prevent the bacteria from growing to high levels and to destroy the bacteria through cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature. Follow these guidelines for safe food preparation:

CLEAN: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often

• Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
• Wash utensils, cutting boards, dishes, and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.
• Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

SEPARATE: Don't Cross-contaminate

• Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Always wash cutting boards, dishes, countertops, and utensils with hot soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

COOK: Cook to Safe Temperatures

Use a clean food thermometer when measuring the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other foods to make sure they have reached a safe minimum internal temperature:

• Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.
• Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
• Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
• Stuffed poultry is not recommended. Cook stuffing separately to 165 °F.
• Egg dishes, casseroles to 160 °F.
• Fish should reach 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
• Bring sauces, soups, and gravy to a boil when reheating.
• Reheat other leftovers thoroughly to at least 165 °F.

CHILL: Refrigerate Promptly

• Keep food safe at home, refrigerate promptly and properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).
• Freezers should register 0 °F or below and refrigerators 40 °F or below.
• Thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Foods should not be thawed at room temperature. Foods thawed in the microwave or in cold water must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature immediately after thawing.
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.

CDC estimates Salmonella cause about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the United States every year.

Salmonella live in the intestines of people and animals. People can get Salmonella infection from a variety of sources, including

• Eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water
• Touching infected animals, their feces, or their environment

Most types of Salmonella cause an illness called salmonellosis, which is the focus of this website. Some other types of Salmonella cause typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever.

Most people with a Salmonella infection experience:

• Diarrhea (that can be bloody)
• Fever
• Stomach cramps

Some people may also have nausea, vomiting, or a headache.

Symptoms usually start within 6 hours–6 days after infection and last 4–7 days.

Should I call the doctor?

Call the doctor if you have:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
• Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
• Bloody stools
• Prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as:
  • Making very little urine
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • Dizziness when standing up

Salmonella infection is diagnosed when a laboratory test detects Salmonella bacteria in a person’s poop (stool), body tissue, or fluids.

Most people recover without specific treatment. Antibiotics are typically used only to treat people with severe illness. Patients should drink extra fluids as long as diarrhea lasts. In some cases, diarrhea may be so severe that the person needs to be hospitalized.

In rare cases, infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, and then to other parts of the body. In these people, Salmonella can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Most people recover from Salmonella infection within four to seven days without antibiotics. People who are sick with a Salmonella infection should drink extra fluids as long as diarrhea lasts.

Antibiotic treatment is recommended for:

• People with severe illness
• People with a weakened immune system, such as from HIV infection or chemotherapy treatment
• Adults older than 50 who have medical problems, such as heart disease
• Infants (children younger than 12 months).
• Adults age 65 or older

What Should I Know About Antibiotic Resistance and Salmonella?

Resistance to essential antibiotics is increasing in Salmonella, which can limit treatment options for people with severe infections. One way to slow down the development of antibiotic resistance is by appropriate use of antibiotics.

What can be done to prevent antibiotic resistance and resistant bacteria?

Appropriate use of antibiotics in people and animals (use only when needed and exactly as prescribed) can help prevent antibiotic resistance and the spread of resistant bacteria.

Five Fast Facts

Food Safety Steps

Remember to follow the Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill guidelines to help keep you and your family safe from Salmonella. Be especially careful to follow the guidelines when preparing food for young children, people with weakened immune systems, and older adults.

Don’t let Salmonella make you or your loved ones sick. Take a look at these five facts and CDC’s tips for lowering your chance of getting a Salmonella infection.

• You can get a Salmonella infection from a variety of foods. Salmonella can be found in many foods, including sprouts and other vegetables, eggs, chicken, pork, fruits, and even processed foods, such as nut butters, frozen pot pies, chicken nuggets, and stuffed chicken entrees. Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal, which is why it is important to know how to prevent infection.
• Salmonella also can spread from animals to people and from people to people. Always wash your hands after contact with animals. Also wash your hands after using the toilet, changing diapers, or helping someone with diarrhea clean up after using the toilet. If you have a Salmonella infection, you should not prepare food or drinks for others until you no longer have diarrhea.
• Salmonella illness is more common in the summer. Warmer weather and unrefrigerated foods create ideal conditions for Salmonella to grow. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze perishables (foods likely to spoil or go bad quickly), prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature outside is 90°F or hotter).
• Salmonella illness can be serious and is more dangerous for certain people. Anyone can get a Salmonella infection, but some people are more likely to develop a serious illness, including children younger than 5, older adults, and people with immune systems weakened from a medical condition, such as diabetes, liver or kidney disease, and cancer or its treatment.
• Salmonella causes far more illnesses than you might suspect. For every person with a Salmonella illness confirmed by a laboratory test, there are about 30 more people with Salmonella illnesses that are not reported. Most people who get food poisoning do not go to a doctor or submit a sample to a laboratory, so we never learn what germ made them sick.

Play Safe Around Animals

Pets and other healthy animals, including those at petting zoos, farms, fairs, and even schools and daycares, can carry Salmonella and other germs that make people sick. The following tips will help you stay safe when it comes to our feathery, furry, and scaly friends.

Wash your hands thoroughly with running water and soap after touching pets and other animals, or their food, water, poop, belongings (such as toys and bowls), or habitats (such as beds, cages, tanks, coops, stalls, and barns). Don’t put your hands in your mouth after petting or playing with animals. Keep other items that have come into contact with animals out of your mouth. Don’t kiss cats, dogs, chickens, turtles, lizards, or other pets or animals. Don’t let children younger than age 5, people with weakened immune systems, or older adults touch high-risk animals (like turtles, frogs, chickens, or ducks) or their belongings or habitats. Never eat or drink around high-risk animals or in areas where they live and roam. Clean your pet’s bed, cage, terrarium, or aquarium and its contents (such as food and water bowls) outdoors. If you must clean your pet’s habitat indoors, use a bathtub or large sink that can be cleaned and disinfected. Avoid using a kitchen sink, if possible. Take your pet to the veterinarian regularly. By keeping your pet healthy, you also help to keep yourself and your family healthy.

When you, your family members, or your pets touch or eat raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and egg products or food that has been improperly cooked, there’s a risk for getting sick from Salmonella.

Some Salmonella Facts

• Salmonella are a group of bacteria that can make people and animals sick from a foodborne illness called salmonellosis. The illness is called “foodborne” because the bacteria are carried, or “borne,” in or on food.
• Salmonella live in the intestines of people and animals. Some animals, especially cows, pigs, chickens, rodents (like mice), reptiles (like turtles, snakes, and lizards), and amphibians (like frogs and salamanders) can naturally carry Salmonella in their intestines and on their bodies, but look and act healthy.
• Salmonella are so small that you can’t see them with your eyes. You have to use a microscope to see the bacteria.
• Salmonella can contaminate a variety of food, such as meat, eggs, milk, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and even chocolate, ice cream, and peanut butter. Salmonella can also contaminate pet food and pet treats, such as dog biscuits, pig ears, rawhide, and beef hooves.
• Salmonella was named after Daniel E. Salmon, a veterinarian who studied animal diseases for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How do people get Salmonella?

People get Salmonella by accidentally eating the bacteria. “Gross,” you say. “I would never eat bacteria.” But remember, you can’t see the bacteria with your eyes so you don’t even know you’re eating them. You can accidentally eat Salmonella when you:

• Eat raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and egg products.
• Drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat dairy products that contain raw milk.
• Eat food contaminated with the feces (poop) of people or animals. For example, someone who doesn’t know he has Salmonella forgets to wash his hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and then prepares a sandwich and serves it to you. This can spread the bacteria to you.
• Touch contaminated pet food or treats and then touch your mouth.
• Touch or hold pets, especially reptiles, amphibians, baby chicks, or other small animals, and then touch your mouth. Kissing these animals can also cause you to accidentally eat Salmonella.
• Touch animal poop and then touch your mouth. Dogs and cats that eat pet food or treats contaminated with Salmonella can have the bacteria in their feces, even if they don’t show signs of being sick.

What are the symptoms of Salmonella infection in people?

In people, symptoms of Salmonella infection include:

• Fever;
• Diarrhea (which can become severe and may be bloody);
• Vomiting; and
• Stomach cramps.

Symptoms start 6 hours to 6 days after a person accidentally eats Salmonella. Most people get better in 4 to 7 days without needing to see a doctor, but they should drink lots of water and other fluids. Sometimes the diarrhea can become so bad that the person needs to go to the hospital.

Children under 5-years-old, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems (like people with cancer or other diseases) have a higher risk of getting a bad Salmonella infection and can die if their symptoms are severe.

What are the signs of Salmonella infection in dogs and cats?

Dogs and cats don’t commonly get sick from Salmonella. When the disease is seen in an adult dog or cat, the animal usually has another illness at the same time. Puppies and kittens can get sick if they accidentally eat a large number of the bacteria. Signs of Salmonella infection in dogs and cats include:

• Vomiting;
• Diarrhea (which may be bloody);
• Fever;
• Not wanting to eat; and
• Being less active—they won’t want to play and will lie around more than normal.

How can I be Salmonella Safe?

Hand Washing

Frequent hand washing is the best way you can be Salmonella Safe and lower your risk of getting Salmonella or passing the bacteria to other people. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds immediately after you:

• Touch raw meat and poultry products;
• Touch eggs and egg products;
• Touch your pets or other animals, especially reptiles, amphibians, and birds;
• Feed your pets or give them treats;
• Clean up after your pets when they poop outside or use the litter box; and
• Go to the bathroom.

Kitchen Safety

It’s also important to be Salmonella Safe in your kitchen by following these tips:

• Cook all food thoroughly to the proper temperature. Foodsafety.gov has a chart of the safe minimum cooking temperatures for various food along with other great tips on how to keep your food safe;
• Don’t eat or drink anything that has uncooked eggs or raw (unpasteurized) milk;
• Refrigerate food promptly;
• Clean and disinfect kitchen surfaces and utensils often; and
• Keep raw food separate from other food.

Pet Food and Pet Treats

Most pet food and treats are properly processed so they’re Salmonella free and safe for your pet to eat and for you to touch. But sometimes, pet food and treats can be contaminated with Salmonella during processing and you won’t know by looking at the food.

Don’t feed your pet a raw diet because raw pet food is more likely than other types of pet food to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Pet Reptiles and Amphibians

If you own a pet reptile or amphibian, don’t let it roam freely throughout your house and keep it away from children under 5-years-old, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems.

Pet turtles are cute but can be a source of Salmonella.

What is FDA doing to help keep me Salmonella Safe?

To help keep you Salmonella Safe, FDA:

• Inspects food processing plants in the U.S.;
• Screens food that comes into the U.S. from other countries;
• Works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the states to make sure that milk pasteurization plants are inspected;
• Occasionally tests pet food and pet treats to look for Salmonella. FDA has a zero-tolerance policy for Salmonella in pet food and treats, meaning if the harmful bacteria is found during testing, the agency will take action against the manufacturer of the contaminated product.
• Regulates how turtles are sold in the U.S.; and
• Works with veterinarians and food animal producers to use antibiotics wisely to slow down the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria in food-producing animals, such as cows, pigs, and chickens. Using antibiotics wisely means that the drugs are only used in animals when necessary and in the proper way.