Salmonellosis is a disease caused by Salmonella bacteria. It usually affects the intestinal tract and occasionally the bloodstream. Salmonella bacteria can cause outbreaks due to food poisoning.
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.