Any person can get salmonellosis but it is recognized more often in infants and children. Salmonella bacteria often contaminate raw meats, including chicken, eggs, and unpasteurized milk and cheese products. Infected persons can spread the bacteria by not washing their hands after going to the bathroom and then handling food that other people will eat. Another way to get this disease is by having direct contact with feces from an infected person or animal and then transferring the bacteria to the mouth from the hands. The most common symptoms are mild or severe diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, headache, and occasionally vomiting.
Blood infections can be quite serious, particularly in the very young or elderly.
The symptoms generally appear one to three days after exposure. Most people carry the bacteria for several days to several weeks after illness. A small percentage of infected persons carry the bacteria for a year or longer. Most infected people may return to work or school when diarrhea stops, provided that they carefully wash their hands after using the toilet. The health department will assess each situation in which the person with salmonellosis is a food handler, health care worker, or day care worker or attendee.