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What is Salmonellosis?
Salmonellosis (Salmonella) is a common bacterial infection caused by any of more than 2,000 strains of Salmonella. These bacteria infect the intestinal tract and occasionally the blood. There are 600 to 800 cases reported in Washington every year.
How do you get Salmonella?
Salmonella can be spread through:
- Consuming contaminated food or water
- Handling raw meat, poultry, or eggs
- Contact with infected animals, particularly reptiles and birds, or their environments
- Poor hygiene, such as not washing hands properly after using the restroom or handling food
You can get a Salmonella infection from various foods, including sprouts, vegetables, eggs, chicken, pork, fruits, and processed items like nut butters, frozen pot pies, and chicken nuggets. Contaminated foods often look and smell normal, so it's crucial to know how to prevent infection.
Pets and healthy animals, such as those at petting zoos, farms, fairs, schools, and daycares, can carry Salmonella. Poultry (like chickens and ducks) may have Salmonella on their bodies, even if they look clean. The germs can spread to cages and other surfaces the birds touch. These bacteria can get on your hands and spread to other people or surfaces, or infect you if you don’t wash your hands.
Backyard Poultry
Many families choose to keep birds in their backyards. Backyard birds, or poultry, are increasing in number in urban and suburban areas. People keep backyard poultry for many reasons, including to produce food (fresh eggs or meat), companionship, hobby, exhibition, and education. Backyard poultry most commonly includes domesticated chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and turkeys. If you own poultry, knowing key prevention practices to ensure health for you, your family, and your flock is important.
What are the Symptoms?
People with Salmonella infection will experience symptoms six hours to six days after getting the bacteria, and some of these symptoms last between four to seven days:
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
Less common symptoms such as:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
Symptoms in Pets
- Most pets don’t get sick from Salmonella and show no symptoms. However, they can spread the germ through their poop and saliva.
- Pets with health problems and puppies or kittens are more likely to get sick from Salmonella. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea (may be bloody), fever, loss of appetite, and decreased activity level.
- For more information, see FDA’s Salmonellosis in Dogs and Cats page.
How to prevent Salmonella?
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after handling foods, after using the bathroom or changing a baby's diaper, and after contact with animals.
- Make sure children, particularly those who handle pets, wash their hands properly.
- Do not allow reptiles in areas where you feed or bathe small children.
- Purchase only inspected eggs, and animal food products, and pasteurized milk and milk products.
- Wrap fresh meat and poultry in plastic bags at the market to prevent blood from dripping on other foods.
- Refrigerate foods promptly.
- Defrost meat and poultry in the refrigerator; minimize holding at room temperature.
- Wash cutting boards and counters used for meat or poultry preparation immediately after use to avoid cross contaminating other foods.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked meats, poultry, and eggs, particularly when using a microwave oven.
- Never prepare food for other people if you have diarrhea.
- Do not swim in pools or lakes if you have diarrhea.
- Remember the four steps to food safety.
Diagnosis & Treatment
To check for Salmonella infection, the lab needs a poop or blood sample. After that, the doctor decides how to treat it depending on how bad it is. Most people do not need medicine for Salmonella, but if the symptoms are serious, the doctor might give antibiotics to help fight it.
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.
Patients should drink extra fluids as long as diarrhea lasts. In some cases, the illness can be so severe that the person needs to be hospitalized. In rare cases, infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, or to other parts of the body. These patients should be treated promptly with antibiotics.
Providers
Salmonella is a notifiable condition.
Health care providers in Chelan and Douglas counties, contact the Chelan Douglas Health District at 509-886-6400 if you have a suspect case. We will guide you through the testing and shipping process.
- Health care providers and Health care facilities: notifiable to local health jurisdiction within 24 hours
- Laboratories: notifiable to local health jurisdiction within 24 hours; submission required – isolate or if no isolate specimen associated with positive result, within 2 business days
- Local health jurisdiction: notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDE) within 7 days of case investigation completion or summary information required within 21 days
Contact Us
For more information on Salmonella prevention and treatment, please contact our office at (509) 886-6400 or visit us at 200 Valley Mall Parkway. You can also find additional resources on the CDC and Washington State Department of Health websites.
Educational Posters:
DON'T LET A CHICK MAKE YOU SICK (Prevent Salmonella Poster) - English (wa.gov)
NO DEJE QUE UN POLLITO LE TRANSMITA ENFERMEDADES (wa.gov)
How to Prepare for a Healthy Family and Flock (wa.gov)
Eat Safe Food After a Power Outage (cdc.gov)
References
