Salmonella: Poisoning, Symptoms, Treatment

What is salmonella poisoning?

The bacteria Salmonella was named after the American veterinarian Daniel Elmer Salmon.

• Salmonella is rod-shaped, mobile bacteria that are not only found in humans and in cold and warm-blooded animals – they also survive outside of living beings.
• Salmonella poisoning is an infection with salmonella. Another term for the infection is salmonellosis.
• The course varies depending on the constitution of the infected person. Salmonellosis can manifest as intestinal inflammation, but can also have a systemic effect throughout the body, i.e. cause typhoid or paratyphoid.
• Salmonella are divided into two types, one of which is again divided into six subtypes and over 2,000 variations.
• Salmonella typhi, the typhoid pathogen, and Salmonella paratyphoid, the paratyphoid pathogen, are two such variations. Another is Salmonella enteritidis, responsible for the enteritis.
• The latter do not leave the intestines, while the other two variations enter the bloodstream via the intestines and are distributed throughout the body. This can lead to sepsis.
• The poisoning is triggered by the toxins, so-called toxins, which the salmonella secrete.

Symptoms of Salmonellosis

• If you have been infected with the enteritis pathogen, you will notice the first symptoms within a few hours to 72 hours.
• Enteritis is manifested by acute vomiting and diarrhea with severe abdominal cramps, fever, and headaches. Severe diarrhea causes a high loss of fluids.
• With a typhoid infection, it can take up to 60 days for the first symptoms to appear. Typical symptoms are fever, a gray coated tongue – the so-called typhoid tongue, a swollen spleen, and a skin rash. In addition, sufferers initially suffer from constipation, which then turns into mushy diarrhea.
• The symptoms of paratyphoid are less pronounced. One to 10 days after infection, they appear as a gastrointestinal infection with watery diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and fever. In contrast to typhus, the symptoms subside after four to 14 days.

How is salmonellosis treated?

An important pillar of the treatment of salmonella poisoning is consistent compliance with strict hygiene regulations. The toilet can only be used by the infected person.

• Any suspicion of salmonella enteritis, typhoid or paratyphoid must be reported to the health department, there is an obligation to report. A detected illness and death from salmonella poisoning must also be reported to the health department.
• Treatment for salmonella poisoning depends on the type of pathogen and the form and severity of the disease.
• Typhoid diseases are usually treated immediately with antibiotics.
• In the case of salmonella enteritis, antibiotics are only given if the enteritis is severe or if the affected person has a weakened immune system. These include small children, the elderly and patients with immune deficiencies or heart defects.
• For this purpose, special attention is paid to the water and electrolyte balance, which can be thrown off balance by the sudden vomiting and diarrhea. Electrolyte and glucose solutions are offered for drinking, but water and teas are also recommended.
• There is a vaccination against typhoid. It provides some immunity, but does not protect 100 percent.

Salmonella long-term excretor

In the case of typhoid, about two to five percent of patients become such long-term excretors.

• Anyone who permanently excretes salmonella in the stool after salmonella poisoning receives special treatment. In the case of typhoid, about two to five percent of patients become such long-term excretors, whereas this is even rarer in the case of enteritis.
• Treatment with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin must be continued for a month.