Salmonella: How it Affects The Body

When can salmonella poisoning occur?

The fear of infection with Salmonella is particularly great when eating raw food.

• Processing raw eggs, for example, can serve as a trigger for salmonella poisoning.
• The pathogens have an incubation period of only five to 72 hours. After admission, the first symptoms quickly appear. Depending on the severity of the poisoning, it is necessary to react quickly here.
• Pregnant women, children, and the elderly or sick people, in particular, are often unable to take action against the infection and may have to be treated in hospital.

Bacteria as triggers of various diseases

The interesting question is what happens in the body in the event of salmonella poisoning and how it can be treated. The prognosis of poisoning can also be helpful in finding out how the body deals with the pathogens.

• Salmonella poisoning is often associated with vomiting and diarrhea. The pathogens are able to trigger completely different diseases.
• Among other things, it is possible for infection with salmonella to trigger a paratyphoid fever, typhoid fever, or very severe intestinal inflammation. Prompt treatment with antibiotics is recommended.

The Effect and Treatment of Salmonella

Salmonella is bacteria that are reminiscent of small rods in shape. They are able to penetrate the body’s cells and cause severe damage here. There are two different types of bacteria. Salmonella bongori and Salmonella enterica.

• Salmonella enterica are frequent triggers for typhus and intestinal inflammation. They are able to get into the bloodstream via the intestines and are thus distributed throughout the body. It is possible that they can lead to sepsis, and the blood poisoning can then take a very serious course and even lead to death.
• The bacteria can survive for several months, regardless of whether the food on which the bacteria are found is in the freezer.
• Poultry and eggs in particular can be contaminated. Inflammation of the intestine caused by salmonella is a notifiable disease.
• The bacteria are usually ingested through food. You get to the stomach from here. Normally, the stomach acid is able to attack and kill the salmonella. However, if there is a large number of bacteria, it is possible for them to overcome the acid and enter the intestines as part of digestion. From here they can infect the circulatory system in the body via the intestinal wall.
• Symptoms usually subside within a few hours or a few days. Only around 5% of patients are affected by a very severe course of the disease. This is when the bacteria reach the bloodstream. From meningitis to organ failure, anything is possible.
• A doctor can check whether the symptoms are caused by an infection with Salmonella. In this case, a notification must be made. It is also necessary to compensate for the loss of minerals and fluid. This works by drinking lots of liquid or an electrolyte solution. If the course is severe, it must be treated with antibiotics. With early detection, the trend is usually positive.

The symptoms of salmonellosis

If there is an infection with salmonella, it is called salmonellosis. The incubation period is five to 72 hours. The infection can therefore break out even after several days. If the person affected has a very strong immune system, then there are only very few symptoms or no symptoms at all. In this case, we speak of a silent infection. After the bacteria have reached the intestine, this is where they release their toxins. The cytotoxins cause inflammation of the tissue. The affected person may experience the following symptoms:

• very strong nausea with vomiting
• sudden headache
• severe diarrhea
• possibly increased temperature
• blood in the stool.