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Salmonella Infection
What is
salmonellosis?
Salmonellosis (sal-mohn-el-OH-sis)
is a bacterial disease
caused by the bacterium
Salmonella. Many
different kinds of
Salmonella can make
people sick. Most people
have diarrhea, fever, and
stomach pain that start 1 to
3 days after they get
infected. These symptoms
usually go away after 1
week. Sometimes, people have
to see a doctor or go to the
hospital because the
diarrhea is severe or the
infection has affected other
organs.
Can
animals transmit
salmonellosis to me?
Yes, many kinds of animals
can pass salmonellosis to
people. Usually, people get
salmonellosis by eating
contaminated food, such as
chicken or eggs. However,
animals can carry
Salmonella and pass it
in their feces (stool).
Therefore, people can also
get salmonellosis if they do
not wash their hands after
touching the feces of
animals. Reptiles (lizards,
snakes, and turtles), baby
chicks, and ducklings are
especially likely to pass
salmonellosis to people.
Dogs, cats, birds (including
pet birds), horses, and farm
animals can also pass
Salmonella in their
feces. Reptiles account for
approximately 7% of the
salmonella cases in the
United States. Some
people are more likely than
others to get salmonellosis.
A person's age and health
status may affect his or her
immune system, increasing
the chances of getting sick.
People who are more likely
to get salmonellosis include
infants, children younger
than 5 years old, organ
transplant patients, people
with HIV/AIDS, and people
receiving treatment for
cancer.
How can I
protect myself from
salmonellosis?
-
After
contact with animal
feces (stool), wash your
hands with soap and
running water.
-
Wash
your hands with soap and
running water after
touching reptiles or any
objects and surfaces
that a reptile has also
touched.
-
If
you have a compromised
immune system, avoid
contact with reptiles.
Children younger than 5
years old should be
supervised while
interacting with
animals.
-
Children should not be
allowed to kiss pets or
to put their hands or
other objects into their
mouths after handling
animals.
-
Childrens' hands should
be washed thoroughly
with running water and
soap after contact with
animals.
-
Hand
washing prior to breast
feeding or preparation
of formula is
strongly recommended.