Salmonella enterocolitis is a bacterial infection in the lining of the small intestine that is caused by Salmonella bacteria. It is a type of food poisoning.
Salmonellosis; Nontyphoidal salmonella; Food poisoning - salmonella; Gastroenteritis - salmonella
Salmonella infection is one of the most common types of food poisoning. It occurs when you eat food or drink water that contains Salmonella bacteria.
The Salmonella germs may get into the food you eat in several ways.
You are more likely to get this type of infection if you:
The time between getting infected and having symptoms is 8 to 72 hours. Symptoms include:
The goal is to make you feel better and avoid dehydration. Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should.
These things may help you feel better if you have diarrhea:
If your child has Salmonella, it is important to keep them from getting dehydrated. At first, try 1 ounce (2 tablespoons or 30 milliliters) of fluid every 30 to 60 minutes.
Medicines that slow diarrhea are often not given because they may make the infection last longer. If you have severe symptoms, your provider may prescribe antibiotics if you:
If you take water pills or diuretics, you may need to stop taking them when you have diarrhea. Ask your provider.
Andrew Pollard practices in Oxford, United Kingdom. Pollard is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Salmonella Enterocolitis. He is also highly rated in 23 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Typhoid Fever, Salmonella Enterocolitis, Meningitis, and Tetanus.
Florian Marks practices in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Marks is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Salmonella Enterocolitis. He is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Typhoid Fever, Salmonella Enterocolitis, Cholera, and Sepsis.
Gordon Dougan practices in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Dougan is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Salmonella Enterocolitis. He is also highly rated in 9 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Salmonella Enterocolitis, Typhoid Fever, Scarlet Fever, and Cholera.
In otherwise healthy people, symptoms should go away in 2 to 5 days, but they may last for 1 to 2 weeks.
People who have been treated for Salmonella may continue to shed the bacteria in their stool for months to a year after the infection. Food handlers who carry Salmonella in their body can pass the infection to the people who eat the food they have handled.
Contact your provider if:
Contact your provider if your child has:
Learning how to prevent food poisoning can reduce the risk for this infection. Follow these safety measures:
Summary: This study will evaluate the efficacy of a Typhoid conjugate vaccine (Vi-TCV) in Malawi, Africa among children age 9 months through 12 years. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ration to receive the study vaccine or the control vaccine (meningococcal group A conjugate vaccine - MCV-A).
Summary: This study evaluates the effect of an oral typhoid vaccine on disruption of the intestinal barrier and response of the immune system. Intestinal and whole-body responses will be measured in all participants before and after the vaccine.
Published Date: March 10, 2022
Published By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Crump JA. Salmonella infections (including enteric fever). In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 292.
Kotloff KL. Acute gastroenteritis in children. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 366.
Lima AAM, Warren CA, Guerrant RL. Acute dysentery syndromes (diarrhea with fever). In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 99.
Melia JMP, Sears CL. Infectious enteritis and proctocolitis. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 110.