A species of thousands of serotypes; the non-typhoidal ones are a leading cause of food-related diarrheal illness. Explore its illustrative 3D model, human context, and sources.
S. enterica is divided into six subspecies, and subspecies enterica alone contains thousands of serotypes including Typhimurium, Enteritidis, Typhi and Paratyphi. This profile follows the types that cause diarrheal illness, called salmonellosis; typhoid and paratyphoid fever are caused by separate serotypes and are not covered here. CDC estimates about 1.35 million US infections a year and notes that only 1 in every 30 is diagnosed. Illness usually resolves in about a week, but PHAC notes that 5% of people recovering from non-typhoidal salmonellosis can shed the bacteria for 20 weeks and some carriers for years.
Disease depends on the serotype, the dose and the person. Most salmonellosis is a self-limited diarrheal illness, but CDC lists spread to the bloodstream, meninges, bone and joints among complications, and names children under 5, adults 65 and over, adults over 50 with underlying conditions, immunocompromised people and international travellers as higher risk. Typhoidal serotypes are a separate clinical picture from the ones described here.
Original schematic 3D phenotype. PHAC describes a Gram-negative, motile, non-sporing rod 0.7-1.5 by 2.0-5.0 micrometres, a facultative anaerobe whose serotyping uses a flagellar H antigen, so flagella are supported for the represented phenotype. The cited sheet describes no capsule, and no endospore exists. Colours, dimensions, layer thicknesses and displayed arrangements are diagram choices, not a measured individual cell. Independent scientific review remains pending.
Source check: 2026-09-17. Educational content; independent scientific review remains pending.