What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Salmonella Poisoning?

Posted by: OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers

Food should nourish you, not send you to the hospital. Unfortunately, thousands of people contract Salmonella infections each year through contaminated food. This common foodborne illness can cause serious, even life-threatening complications, especially if symptoms are overlooked or untreated.

So, how do you know if you’ve been infected with Salmonella? Recognizing the signs and symptoms early can help you get the medical care you need and may also help trace the source of an outbreak.

Here’s what you need to know about the symptoms of Salmonella, when to seek treatment, and how a Salmonella lawyer can help if your illness was caused by negligent food handling.

What Is Salmonella and How Do People Get It?

Salmonella poisoning is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States. The bacteria live in the intestines of humans and animals and can spread through contaminated food, water, or surfaces. According to the CDC, Salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths yearly.

Most people develop a Salmonella infection after eating or drinking something contaminated with the bacteria. The most common sources of food poisoning include:

• Undercooked poultry, meat, or eggs – Failing to cook food to safe internal temperatures allows Salmonella bacteria to survive.
• Raw fruits and vegetables—Produce can be contaminated in fields by irrigation water, animal waste, or poor handling during processing.
• Cross-contamination in kitchens – Cutting boards, countertops, utensils, or workers’ unwashed hands can easily transfer bacteria from raw foods to ready-to-eat meals.
• Unpasteurized milk, cheese, or juice –Salmonella can survive and multiply in dairy and juice products without pasteurization.
• Animal contact – People can also get Salmonella poisoning after handling reptiles, birds, or backyard chickens.

Because food distribution networks are so widespread, a single Salmonella outbreak can impact thousands of households and restaurants nationwide. That’s why restaurants, grocery stores, and food suppliers must follow strict food safety standards. When companies cut corners or ignore these rules, contaminated food reaches consumers, often leading to serious illness and potential liability.

Common Symptoms of Salmonella Poisoning

The symptoms of Salmonella poisoning usually begin 6 hours to 6 days after exposure to contaminated food or water. While some people may only experience mild discomfort, others can suffer severe, prolonged illness that requires hospitalization. Because symptoms often resemble those of other stomach bugs, many people don’t immediately realize they have a Salmonella infection.

Digestive Symptoms

Since Salmonella bacteria attack the intestines, most signs of infection affect the digestive tract. Common symptoms include:

• Diarrhea – This can range from watery to severe and sometimes bloody, which increases the risk of dehydration.
• Abdominal cramping and pain – Intestinal inflammation often leads to sharp or persistent stomach pain.
• Nausea and vomiting – The body’s natural defense to rid itself of the bacteria.
• Bloating and gas – A result of irritation in the digestive system.

These symptoms typically last 4 to 7 days, but if the bacteria spread beyond the intestines, they may continue for weeks for some patients, particularly those with weakened immune systems.

Whole-Body Symptoms

A Salmonella infection doesn’t just affect the digestive system; it can also impact the rest of the body. Systemic symptoms may include:

• Fever and chills – The immune system raises body temperature to fight the infection.
• Headaches – Often caused by dehydration or the body’s inflammatory response.
• Muscle aches and joint pain – Similar to flu-like symptoms, they signal a more widespread immune reaction.
• Extreme fatigue and weakness – The body diverts energy to fight the infection, leaving patients bedridden for days.

Because these symptoms overlap with other foodborne illnesses, stool testing is often required for an official diagnosis.

When to Seek Medical Care for Salmonella

Salmonella poisoning is often extremely unpleasant but not life-threatening for otherwise healthy adults. However, certain groups, including infants, young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems, are much more vulnerable to severe complications.

You should seek medical care right away if you experience:

• Diarrhea lasting longer than three days or worsening in severity.
• Signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, sunken eyes, dizziness, or little to no urination.
• High fever (over 102°F) may signal that the infection is spreading.
• Severe abdominal pain that interferes with daily activities.
• Blood in your stool or vomit is a red flag for severe intestinal damage.

Doctors may order stool cultures to confirm the infection, and in severe cases, patients may require IV fluids, electrolyte replacement, or antibiotics. Prompt treatment is essential to prevent the infection from spreading to the bloodstream.

Complications of Salmonella Infections

While many patients recover fully with rest and hydration, Salmonella infections can sometimes cause serious, long-term complications, particularly if left untreated. These complications may include:

• Severe dehydration – Persistent diarrhea and vomiting can strip the body of fluids and electrolytes, requiring hospitalization.
• Sepsis (bloodstream infection) – If Salmonella bacteria escape the intestines and spread throughout the body, they can trigger life-threatening infections of organs, bones, or the nervous system.
• Reactive arthritis – A painful joint condition that may develop weeks after infection and can last months or even years. Symptoms include joint swelling, eye irritation, and painful urination.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – Some survivors experience ongoing digestive problems such as IBS, long after the infection clears.

These complications often lead to high medical bills, lost wages, and reduced quality of life. Salmonella can be fatal in the most severe cases, making early detection and treatment critical.

Can You Take Legal Action After a Salmonella Infection?

If your illness can be traced to a contaminated product, restaurant, or food supplier, you may be able to pursue a legal compensation claim. Food safety lawyers typically handle these cases as product liability or negligence claims.

To succeed, you generally need to show:

1. The food you ate was contaminated with Salmonella.
2. That contamination caused your illness.
3. You suffered measurable damages, such as medical costs, missed work, or pain and suffering.

Lawyers often work with public health agencies, labs, and outbreak investigators to connect illnesses to a specific food source. If multiple people were sickened, your claim may be part of a larger outbreak investigation or class action.

How OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers Can Help

At OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers, we dedicate our entire practice to representing victims of foodborne illness. Unlike general personal injury firms, our attorneys have deep experience handling Salmonella lawsuits, food poisoning claims, and outbreak litigation nationwide.

We know how devastating a Salmonella infection can be, particularly when it leads to hospitalization, lost income, or long-term health complications like reactive arthritis or sepsis.

Our Salmonella lawyers can help you by:

• Investigating the source of your Salmonella infection – We work with public health agencies, laboratories, and epidemiologists to trace the bacteria back to a specific food source, restaurant, or supplier.
• Building a strong legal case—We gather medical records, stool test results, and outbreak reports to establish a clear link between contaminated food and your illness.
• Holding negligent parties accountable – Whether the contamination came from a restaurant, grocery store, food distributor, or manufacturer, we file claims against those responsible for violating food safety standards.
• Pursuing maximum compensation – Victims of Salmonella poisoning may recover damages for hospital bills, follow-up care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future medical needs.

Because we focus exclusively on food safety litigation, our team understands the science, the law, and the strategies needed to win these complex cases.

We also know that Salmonella outbreaks can simultaneously impact dozens or even hundreds of people. If your case is part of a larger outbreak, we have the resources to coordinate with other victims, public health officials, and expert witnesses to strengthen your claim.

Importantly, we handle every Salmonella food poisoning case on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront and owe no attorney’s fees unless we successfully recover compensation for you.

Start Your Recovery Today – Contact OFT Food Safety Lawyers

You shouldn’t have to suffer financially on top of the physical toll of Salmonella poisoning. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with Salmonella, contact OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers today at 866.395.8498 or fill out our online form.

We’re here to investigate, hold negligent parties accountable, and fight for your recovery every step of the way.