Salmonella infection usually isn't life-threatening. However, in certain people — especially infants and young children, older adults, transplant recipients, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems — the development of complications can be dangerous.
If you can't drink enough to replace the fluid you're losing from persistent diarrhea, you may become dehydrated. Warning signs include:
- Decreased urine output
- Dry mouth and tongue
- Sunken eyes
- Reduced production of tears
If salmonella infection enters your bloodstream (bacteremia), it can infect tissues throughout your body, including:
- The tissues surrounding your brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
- The lining of your heart or valves (endocarditis)
- Your bones or bone marrow (osteomyelitis)
- The lining of blood vessels, especially if you've had a vascular graft
People who have had salmonella are at higher risk of developing reactive arthritis. Also known as Reiter's syndrome, reactive arthritis typically causes:
April 05, 2014
- Eye irritation
- Painful urination
- Painful joints
- Hohmann EL. Approach to the patient with nontyphoidal Salmonella in a stool culture. http://www.uptodate.com/home/. Accessed Dec. 9, 2013.
- Salmonella questions and answers: Food safety information. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/abff4b65-494e-45f4-9d69-75e168c8524b/Salmonella_Questions_and_Answers.pdf?MOD=AJPERES. Accessed Dec. 9, 2013.
- Salmonella. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/. Accessed Dec. 9, 2013.
- Patient information: Dehydration (the basics). http://www.uptodate.com/home/. Accessed Dec. 9, 2013.
- Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis: Diagnosis, assessment and management in children younger than 5 years. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=14445&search=dehydration. Accessed Dec. 9, 2013.
- Salmonella infections. The Merck Manuals: Merck Manual for Health Care Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec14/ch173/ch173p.html. Accessed Dec. 9, 2013.
- The Salmonella Action Plan presents a number of aggressive steps the agency will take to prevent Salmonella-related illnesses. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/salmonella/sap. Accessed Dec. 8, 2013.
- FDA releases draft risk profile on pathogens and filth in spices, takes steps to strengthen spice safety. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm372995.htm. Accessed Dec. 9, 2013.