infections
Salmonella Infections
Introduction
The Overview of Gram-Negative Bacteria typically cause diarrhea and sometimes cause a more serious infection, typhoid fever. People are usually infected when they eat contaminated food, such as undercooked chicken or eggs. The bacteria usually infect the digestive tract but can travel through the bloodstream and infect other parts of the body. People have nausea and crampy abdominal pain, followed by watery diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Identifying the bacteria in a sample, usually of stool, confirms the diagnosis. Lost fluids are replaced. Antibiotics are usually not helpful for people who haveSalmonellaintestinal infections, but antibiotics are helpful for people who are at risk of or have bacteremia. (See also Overview of Bacteria ) bacteria cause several types of infection. Most often, these bacteria cause Overview of Gastroenteritis , but they sometimes cause There are over 2,500 different types ofSalmonellabacteria. SomeSalmonellareside only in people. Other species ofSalmonellanormally reside in the digestive tract of many wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl, and reptiles (including snakes, lizards, and turtles). Many of these can cause infections in people. Salmonellabacteria are excreted in the feces of infected animals and people, leading to contamination. In the United States during the 1970s, many infections were spread by pet turtles, so their sale was prohibited, resulting in fewer infections. Recently, the legal and illegal sale of pet reptiles has increased. Up to 90% of pet reptiles and amphibians, such as aquatic frogs, are infected withSalmonella. People are infected usually by eating undercooked poultry or eggs but sometimes by eating undercooked beef and pork, unpasteurized dairy products, or contaminated seafood or fresh produce.Salmonellabacteria can infect the ovaries of hens and thus infect the egg before the egg is laid. Other foods may be contaminated by animal feces (for example, in slaughterhouses) or by infected food handlers who do not adequately wash their hands after using a toilet. People can also become infected if they drink contaminated water. Other reported sources of infection include infected pet turtles and reptiles and contaminated marijuana. Because stomach acid tends to destroySalmonella, a large number of these bacteria must be consumed for infection to develop, unless people have a deficiency of stomach acid. Such a deficiency may occur in Children under 1 year old Older people People taking antacids or drugs that inhibit stomach acid production, including histamine-2 (H2) blockers (such asfamotidine) or proton pump inhibitors (such asomeprazole) bacteria cause inflammation of the intestine ( Overview of Gastroenteritis ) and thus are a common cause of diarrhea. In the United States, up to 90% of pet reptiles and amphibians are infected withSalmonella. 