The disease may have multiple manifestations and may progress from gastroenteritis into systemic disease, or may become localized in tissues far from the original site of infection. It may produce pneumonia, septic arthritis, pyelonephritis, meningitis and endocarditis.
Systemic disease is uncommon and mortality is low.
Oral rehydration is generally the recommended therapy for cases of uncomplicated disease in persons with mature and competent immune systems. Antimicrobial management of disease is normally reserved only for the very young, the debilitated, persons with systemic infection and those with compromised immune systems. A great variety of wild and domestic animals, pets and reptiles serve as the reservoirs of Salmonella . Raw or undercooked eggs are most frequently recognized by the general public as potential sources of Salmonella , though raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products, meats, fruits, vegetables, salads and other foods may be implicated in transmission of the disease. The following is a descriptive analysis of passively-reported surveillance data on Salmonella infections among Houston residents collected by the Bureau of Epidemiology from 1995 to 1999.