— Red peril? —
Salmonella at a glance
[photo illustration by Daniel Zollinger]

• Salmonellosis is an infection by bacteria called salmonella;
• Symptoms are: Fever, abdominal cramping, diarrhea from 12-72 hours following infection;
• The illness usually lasts four to seven days;
• Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, if it does it becomes “systemic” and the individual could die if not immediately treated with antibiotics;
• Some strains of salmonella have become resistant to antibiotics;
• There is no vaccine to prevent salmonella;
• About 40,000 cases of salmonella are reported every year in the United States — because many cases are not reported, the CDC suspects there could be up to 30 times greater the number;
• About 400 people die from the disease every year;
• Wash hands with soap and water immediately after handling anything with pet feces — salmonella can be transmitted through the feces.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention