What Is Salmonellosis?
Salmonellosis is an infection caused by Salmonella bacteria. It most often affects the intestines, but the bacteria can sometimes enter the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body. Food poisoning is one of the most common ways to become infected with the Salmonella bacteria.
Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after exposure and commonly last four to seven days. They often include:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headache
Some people need hospital care for dehydration or invasive infection. Young children, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe illness. Read our Salmonella symptoms and medical-warning guide.
The 2026 multistate outbreak linked to recalled jalapeños involves Salmonella Javiana. See the current outbreak report for restaurant exposures, affected states, recall information, and patient steps., and then to other body sites. Salmonellosis can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.
Serious and Long-Term Complications
- Death: Severe infection can be fatal, particularly in people at higher risk. Families can learn about Salmonella wrongful-death claims.
- Severe dehydration and kidney injury: Prolonged diarrhea or vomiting may require intravenous fluids or hospitalization.
- Bacteremia and sepsis: When Salmonella enters the bloodstream, it can spread throughout the body and become life-threatening.
- Meningitis and other focal infections: The bacteria can infect the brain and spinal cord, bones, joints, heart, blood vessels, or other tissues.
- Colitis: Inflammation of the colon can cause severe pain, bloody diarrhea, hospitalization, and a prolonged recovery. Read about Salmonella colitis.
Reactive arthritis
Joint pain, eye irritation, and urinary symptoms can begin after the intestinal illness and may persist. In rare cases, salmonellosis can cause brain abscesses, osteomyelitis or enteric reactive arthritis, referred to as such because the arthritis associated with the syndrome occurs as a “reaction” to the Salmonella infection.
Reactive arthritis can affect any joint in the body and cause any of the following:
- Enthesopathy, painful inflammation of the tendon that attaches to the bone
- Heel spurs, bony growths in the heel that cause chronic or long-lasting foot pain
- Spondylitis, inflammation of the spine
- Sacroiliitis, inflammation of the joints of the lower back that connect the spine to the pelvis
- Conjunctivitis, inflammation of the mucous membrane that covers the eyeball and eyelid
- Uveitis, inflammation of the inner eye
About 10 percent of people with reactive arthritis, develop heart problems:
- Aortic regurgitation, leakage of blood from the aorta into the heart chamber
- Pericarditis, inflammation of the membrane that covers and protects the heart
Free Consultation with an Attorney
Pritzker Hagman has a national food safety practice representing clients in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against restaurants and food companies. Our attorneys are food safety advocates who have been interviewed by major media outlets including The Associated Press, The New York Times, USA Today and more. Our clients have appeared before Congress advocating for food safety and food poisoning prevention.
To contact a Pritzker Hageman Salmonella lawyer about a lawsuit for compensation, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit this case review form.
