Read condition-specific symptoms and clinical context for Salmonella enterica. A species of thousands of serotypes; the non-typhoidal ones are a leading cause of food-related diarrheal illness.
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.
CDC states that symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection and that illness typically lasts 4 to 7 days.
Possible symptoms: Watery diarrhea that might have blood or mucus; Stomach cramps that can be severe; Headache; Nausea; Vomiting; Loss of appetite.
CDC advises contacting a doctor for diarrhea or vomiting lasting more than 2 days, bloody stool or urine, fever above 102 degrees Fahrenheit or signs of dehydration. Listed complications include long-lasting diarrhea, spread to the blood, meninges, bone or joints, and reactive arthritis that can last months or years and is most common between ages 15 and 35.
People can continue to carry and shed the bacteria after symptoms end, and shedding can occur without illness.
PHAC states that 5% of patients recovering from non-typhoidal salmonellosis can shed the bacteria for 20 weeks, that certain carriers shed for years, and that people can transmit the infection for as long as they shed it in their faeces. CDC estimates that only 1 in every 30 infections is diagnosed. None of the symptoms listed above apply to this state.
Shedding without symptoms is a hygiene and food-handling matter rather than an illness to treat. Clinical context and laboratory testing distinguish shedding from disease.
Source check: 2026-09-17. Educational content; independent scientific review remains pending.