What are the signs and symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever?

Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever have similar symptoms?. People usually have a sustained fever (one that doesn’t come and go) that can be as high as 103–104° F (39–40° C).

Other symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever include

• Weakness

• Stomach pain

• Headache

• Diarrhea or constipation

• Cough

• Loss of appetite

Some people with typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever develop a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.

What do you do if you think you have typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever?

The only way to know for sure if an illness is typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever is to have a sample of blood or stool (poop) tested for Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.

The only way to know for sure if an illness is typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever is to have a sample of blood or stool (poop) tested for Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.

If you have a high fever and feel very ill, see a doctor immediately.

How are typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever treated?

Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics.

Resistance to antibiotics is increasing in the bacteria that cause typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. When bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, the bacteria are not killed and their growth is not stopped. To help guide treatment, your doctor may order special tests to see if your type of Salmonella is antibiotic-resistant.

People who do not get treatment can continue to have fever for weeks or months, and can develop complications. As many as 30% of people who do not get treatment die from complications of the infection.

The danger from typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever doesn’t end when symptoms disappear.

Even if your symptoms seem to go away, you may still be carrying Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi. If so, the illness could return, or you could pass the bacteria to other people. In fact, if you are a health care worker or work at a job where you handle food or care for small children, you might be barred (prevented) legally from going back to work until a doctor has determined you no longer carry the bacteria.

If you are being treated for typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, it is important to do the following:

• Keep taking antibiotics for as long as the doctor has recommended.

• Wash your hands carefully with soap and water after using the bathroom, and do not prepare or serve food for other people. This will lower the chance that you will pass the bacteria on to someone else.

• Have your doctor test your stool (poop) to be sure no Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi bacteria remain in your body.

Travel Alert

There is an ongoing outbreak of extensively drug-resistant typhoid fever in Pakistan. Travelers to Pakistan and other South Asian countries should take precautions:

• Read the alert

• Get a typhoid fever vaccination

• Follow safe food and water guidelines

Prevention

Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are common in many parts of the world.

Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are common in many parts of the world, but not in industrialized regions such as the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and Japan. Areas of highest risk include parts of East and Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Two basic actions can protect you:

1. Get vaccinated against typhoid fever.

2. Find out how to stay safe when it comes to foods and drinks.

Carefully selecting what you eat and drink when you travel is important. This is because the typhoid fever vaccines do not work 100% of the time, and there is no paratyphoid fever vaccine. Avoiding risky foods will also help protect you from other illnesses, including travelers’ diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis A.

When you travel to areas of risk, remember to “Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.”

• If you drink water, buy it bottled or bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute before you drink it. Bottled carbonated water is safer than uncarbonated water.

• Ask for drinks without ice, unless the ice is made from bottled or boiled water. Avoid popsicles and flavored ices that may have been made with contaminated water.

• Eat foods that have been thoroughly cooked and are still hot and steaming.

• Avoid raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled. Lettuce can remain contaminated even after it is washed.

• When you eat raw fruit or vegetables that can be peeled, peel them yourself. (Wash your hands with soap first.)

• Avoid foods and beverages from street vendors.

Vaccination

If you are traveling to a country where typhoid fever is common, consider being vaccinated against typhoid fever. Visit a doctor or travel clinic to discuss options. Remember that you should complete the vaccinations at least 1–2 weeks (depending on vaccine type) before you travel so that the vaccine has time to take effect. Typhoid vaccines lose effectiveness after several years. If you were vaccinated in the past, ask your doctor to if it is time for a booster vaccination. Taking antibiotics will not prevent typhoid fever; they only help treat it. 

Questions and Answers

What is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacteria that makes people sick. It was discovered by an American scientist named Dr. Salmon, and has been known to cause illness for over 125 years. The illness people get from a Salmonella infection is called salmonellosis.

Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 and 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most individuals recover without treatment. In some cases, diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites. In these cases, Salmonella can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness¹.

How Common is Salmonella Infection?

CDC estimates Salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year.² Among these illnesses, about 1.1 million are acquired in the United States. Among the illnesses acquired in the United States, CDC estimates that food is the source for about 1 million illnesses, 19,000 hospitalizations, and 380 deaths.

There are many different kinds of Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella serotype Typhimurium[PDF – 15 pages] and Salmonella serotype Enteritidis[PDF – 15 pages] are the most common in the United States³. Salmonella infections are more common in the summer than winter. Learn more about Salmonella serotypes.

Who is at Highest Risk for Salmonella Infection?

Children are at the highest risk for Salmonella infection. Children under the age of 5[PDF – 36 pages] have higher rates of Salmonella infection than any other age group³. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to have severe infections⁴.

Are there Long-Term Consequences to a Salmonella Infection?

People with diarrhea due to a Salmonella infection usually recover completely, although it may be several months before their bowel habits are entirely normal.

A small number of people with Salmonella develop pain in their joints. This is called reactive arthritis. Reactive arthritis can last for months or years and can lead to chronic arthritis, which can be difficult to treat¹. Antibiotic treatment of the initial Salmonella infection does not make a difference in whether or not the person develops arthritis¹. People with reactive arthritis can also develop irritation of the eyes and painful urination⁵.

Diagnosis and Treatment

How Can Salmonella Infections Be Diagnosed?

Diagnosing salmonellosis requires testing a clinical specimen (such as stool or blood) from an infected person to distinguish it from other illnesses that can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Once Salmonella is identified in the specimen, additional testing can be done to further characterize the Salmonella.

Steps in Laboratory Testing and Reporting Salmonella

• Laboratory scientists identify Salmonella infection by culturing a patient’s sample. If Salmonella bacteria grow, then the diagnosis is confirmed, or in laboratory-terms, “culture confirmed.”

• Clinical diagnostic laboratories report the test results to the treating clinician and submit Salmonella isolates to state and territorial public health laboratories for serotyping and DNA fingerprinting.

• The public health laboratories report the results to CDC’s Laboratory-based Enteric Disease Surveillance and to PulseNet

• The public health laboratories forward atypical serotypes to CDC’s National Salmonella Reference Laboratory for more characterization or confirmation.

Serotyping Salmonella

Serotype: group within a single species of microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, which share distinctive surface chemical structures

Culture: Growing bacteria, viruses, and other living matter in a specific environment, such as a petri dish coated with nutrients to encourage growth

Salmonella are divided into serotypes according to structures on the bacteria’s surface. Serotyping is used in outbreak investigations to link cases of illness with similar bacteria and track them to the source (example: a contaminated food or an infected animal). Some serotypes are only found in one kind of animal or in a single place. Others are found in many different animals and all over the world. Some serotypes can cause especially severe illnesses when they infect people; most typically cause milder illnesses.

 Learn more about the importance of serotyping and CDC’s Salmonella Atlas, the first-of-its-kind report that charts over 40 years of laboratory-confirmed surveillance data on 32 Salmonella serotypes.

Serotyping has played an important role in the understanding the epidemiologic and molecular characterization of Salmonella for decades. Today, modern genetic subtyping methods provide scientists with additional information to understand common serotypes and identify, investigate, and trace outbreaks.

Prevention

Quick Tips for Preventing Salmonella

• Cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly. Do not eat or drink foods containing raw eggs, or raw (unpasteurized) milk.

• If you are served undercooked meat, poultry or eggs in a restaurant, don't hesitate to send it back to the kitchen for further cooking.

• Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry.

• Be particularly careful with foods prepared for infants, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.

• Wash hands with soap after handling reptiles, birds, or baby chicks, and after contact with pet feces.

• Avoid direct or even indirect contact between reptiles (turtles, iguanas, other lizards, snakes) and infants or immunocompromised persons.

• Don't work with raw poultry or meat, and an infant (e.g., feed, change diaper) at the same time.

• Mother's milk is the safest food for young infants. Breastfeeding prevents salmonellosis and many other health problems.

More About Prevention

There is no vaccine to prevent salmonellosis. Because foods of animal origin may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Raw eggs may be unrecognized in some foods, such as homemade Hollandaise sauce, Caesar and other homemade salad dressings, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, homemade mayonnaise, cookie dough, and frostings. Poultry and meat, including hamburgers, should be well-cooked, not pink in the middle. Persons also should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed.

Cross-contamination of foods should be avoided. Uncooked meats should be kept separate from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods. Hands, cutting boards, counters, knives, and other utensils should be washed thoroughly after touching uncooked foods. Hand should be washed before handling food, and between handling different food items.

People who have salmonellosis should not prepare food or pour water for others until their diarrhea has resolved. Many health departments require that restaurant workers with Salmonella infection have a stool test showing that they are no longer carrying the Salmonella bacterium before they return to work.

People should wash their hands after contact with animal feces. Because reptiles are particularly likely to have Salmonella, and it can contaminate their skin, everyone should immediately wash their hands after handling reptiles. Reptiles (including turtles) are not appropriate pets for small children and should not be in the same house as an infant. Salmonella carried in the intestines of chicks and ducklings contaminates their environment and the entire surface of the animal. Children can be exposed to the bacteria by simply holding, cuddling, or kissing the birds. Children should not handle baby chicks or other young birds. Everyone should immediately wash their hands after touching birds, including baby chicks and ducklings, or their environment.

Some prevention steps occur everyday without you thinking about it. Pasteurization of milk and treatment of municipal water supplies are highly effective prevention measures that have been in place for decades. In the 1970s, small pet turtles were a common source of salmonellosis in the United States, so in 1975, the sale of small turtles was banned in this country. However, in 2008, they were still being sold, and cases of Salmonella associated with pet turtles have been reported. Improvements in farm animal hygiene, in slaughter plant practices, and in vegetable and fruit harvesting and packing operations may help prevent salmonellosis caused by contaminated foods. Better education of food industry workers in basic food safety and restaurant inspection procedures may prevent cross-contamination and other food handling errors that can lead to outbreaks. Wider use of pasteurized egg in restaurants, hospitals, and nursing homes is an important prevention measure. In the future, irradiation or other treatments may greatly reduce contamination of raw meat.

Information for Healthcare Professionals and Laboratories

Estimates

CDC estimates that approximately 1.2 million illnesses and 450 deaths occur due to non-typhoidal Salmonella annually in the United States

Incidence

FoodNet reports that the annual incidence of Salmonella infection in the United States was 15.2 illnesses per 100,000 individuals

Trends

Compared to 2010-2012, the incidence of non-typhoidal Salmonella infection showed a 9% decrease in 2013. Visit the FoodNet website for more detailed information about the most recent trends in Salmonella infection.

Risk Factors

• Salmonella infection is more common in the summer months (June, July, and August) than winter.

• Children under 5 years old are the most likely to get a Salmonella infection.

• Infants who are not breast fed are more likely to get a Salmonella infection.

• Children who are 5 years old and younger, adults over 65 years old, and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to have severe infections.

• Certain medications (for example, medications to reduce stomach acid) can increase the risk of Salmonella infection⁵.

Outbreaks

In 2012, 831 foodborne outbreaks were reported to CDC. They were caused by a variety of pathogens, and 106 of them were confirmed Salmonella. Salmonella accounted for the most hospitalizations (64%) in outbreaks with a confirmed cause. In the largest recent outbreak, between March 2013 and July 2014, over 600 individuals in 29 states and Puerto Rico were infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg⁷. This outbreak was associated with one brand of chicken, that led to a company recall of over 40,000 pounds of chicken products, and ended after the company instituted new control measures to reduce contamination.

Definition and Symptoms collapsed

Salmonella was discovered more than a century ago. Salmonellosis, the illness caused by Salmonella, primarily results in a mild to severe diarrheal illness, known as acute gastroenteritis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of acute gastroenteritis due to infection with Salmonella can include:

Key terms:

Enteric: an infection of the gastrointestinal tract

Extra-intestinal: an infection occurring outside the intestine

Gastroenteritis: inflammation of the stomach and large and small intestines that may result in vomiting or diarrhea

Invasive infection: an infection of the bloodstream, bone, joint, brain, or nervous system

• Sudden onset of diarrhea (which may be bloody)

• Abdominal cramps

• Fever (almost always present)

• Nausea, vomiting, and headache may occur, though less frequent

Diarrhea may last for several days and lead to potentially severe dehydration, especially in infants and children under 2 years old and in adults over 65 years old. Even after clinical symptoms are no longer obvious, Salmonella bacteria may be found in the stool for several weeks.

Most people with diarrhea due to a Salmonella infection recover completely, although it may be several months before their bowel habits are entirely normal.

Sometimes, Salmonella infection can spread to urine, blood, bones, joints, the brain, or the nervous system, causing symptoms related to that body part or system. Some of these extra-intestinal infections can have long-term effects, depending on which part of the body is infected.

Invasive Salmonella Infections

When Salmonella infections become invasive, they can affect the bloodstream, bone, joint, brain, or nervous system, or other internal organs.

Invasive Salmonella infections:

• Can be severe and potentially life-threatening.

• Occur in about 8 percent of persons with laboratory-confirmed Salmonella infection.

• May occur as:

  • Bacteremia (infection of the blood)

  • Meningitis (infection of the membranes lining the brain and spinal cord)

  • Osteomyelitis (infection of the bone)

  • Septic arthritis (infection of a joint).

• Are rarely fatal, but most commonly occur in people who are very young or old or have a weakened immune system.

Treatment & Outcomes collapsed

How Can Salmonella Infections Be Treated?

Salmonella gastrointestinal infections usually resolve, or get better, in 5-7 days. Most do not require treatment other than oral fluids. People with severe diarrhea may require rehydration with intravenous fluids.

See the 2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diarrhea >

Should Salmonella Be Treated With Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are recommended only for patients who:

• Have a serious illness (such as severe diarrhea, high fever, bloodstream infection, or condition requiring hospitalization).

• Are considered at high risk for serious disease or complications (such as infants, adults over 65 years old, and people with weakened immune systems).

Antibiotic Resistance in Salmonellosis

CDC tracks Salmonella infections that are resistant to antibiotics through NARMS, the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System.

The germs that contaminate food can be resistant because of the use of antibiotics in people and in food animals. We can prevent many of these infections with careful antibiotic use and by keeping Salmonella out of the food we eat.

Some Salmonella bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. Sometimes the bacteria that cause infections are resistant to the drug of choice, and this drug doesn’t work. Physicians must then recommend second- or third-choice drugs for treatment, but these drugs might be less effective, more toxic, or more expensive. Choices for antibiotic therapy for severe infections often include fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, or ampicillin.

Resistance to antimicrobial agents is not uncommon in Salmonella. Data from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) show that 5% of non-typhoidal Salmonella are resistant to five or more antimicrobial agents.

Please see additional interactive graphs  and publications about the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) and Salmonella.

Salmonella Genus and Species collapsed

Phenotype: an organism’s physical traits 

Serotype: groups in a single species of microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, which share distinctive surface chemical structures

The genus Salmonella is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Like other Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonellae are Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacilli. The genus Salmonella can be divided into two species (S. enterica and S. bongori), based on their phenotypic profile. S. enterica can be further divided into six subspecies using their phenotypic profile.

The most common serotypes of Salmonella that cause human infection are Enteritidis, Typhimurium, Newport, and Javiana. These Salmonella serotypes account for about half of culture-confirmed Salmonella isolates reported by public health laboratories¹².

Typhoidal and Nontyphoidal Salmonella

Salmonella bacteria are classified as either “typhoidal” or “nontyphoidal,” based on their serotype.

• Typhoidal Salmonella refers to the specific Salmonella serotypes which cause typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, including Typhi, Paratyphi A, Paratyphi B (see note below), and Paratyphi C.

  • Serotype Paratyphi B is tartrate-negative (unable to ferment tartrate) and causes typhoidal disease. Serotype Paratyphi B var. L(+)tartrate+  is tartrate-positive (able to ferment tartrate) and causes nontyphoidal disease.

• Nontyphoidal Salmonella refers to all other Salmonella serotypes¹³.

How do People Get Salmonella?

Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals. You can get Salmonella infection from a variety of sources, including:

• Eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.

• Touching infected animals and not washing your hands afterwards.

Contaminated Food or Water

Did You Know?

A person who is in close contact with, or in an area where animals live and roam, can get germs on their hands— even if they do not directly touch an animal.

Salmonella is usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with small amounts of animal feces. Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal. They are often foods of animal origin, such as beef, poultry, milk, fish, or eggs, but any food, including vegetables and fruit or processed foods, may become contaminated.

Foods can also be contaminated in the kitchen. Drippings from raw meat or poultry can contaminate surfaces and other foods in the refrigerator or shopping cart. When raw meat or poultry are prepared with a cutting board and knife without being washed thoroughly between uses, they can contaminate other foods.

When preparing raw meat or poultry, food handlers can transfer Salmonella on their hands to other foods if they do not wash their hands between food preparation steps. Food handlers who do not wash their hands with soap after using the bathroom can also contaminate food with Salmonella.

Contact with Infected Animals

Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including poultry and other birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Salmonella may be found in the feces of some animals, and people can become infected if they do not wash their hands after contact with animals or animal feces.

Many animals can carry Salmonella germs but appear perfectly healthy and clean. Animals’ bodies, whether covered with fur, feathers, or scales, can be contaminated with germs. Reptiles, such as turtles, lizards, and snakes, are particularly likely to harbor Salmonella. Many chicks, ducks, and other poultry including those in backyard flocks can carry Salmonella in their feces. You cannot look at an animal and tell if it is infected with Salmonella.

The area where an animal lives, such as its cage or water in its tank or the places where an animal roams, may be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause illness in people who come into direct contact with the animal area, cage, or tank water. Learn more about CDC’s Healthy Pets Healthy People initiative.

Salmonella Atlas collapsed

An Atlas of Salmonella in the United States, 1968-2011[PDF – 248 pages] summarizes 42 years of surveillance data on laboratory-confirmed Salmonella isolates from humans. The Atlas includes:

• Analyses by age, sex, geography, and season

• Reports of Salmonella isolates from animals and related sources (e.g., environment and feeds)

This is the first time CDC has posted these data online in a downloadable format. You can download the report in its entirety or in 32 individual Salmonella serotype reports.

For more information:

• Salmonella Atlas

• 32 Individual Serotypes Reports

• Importance of Serotyping

• Snapshots of Serotypes

Zoonotic Diseases (also known as zoonoses) are caused by infections that are shared between animals and people.

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans will get sick from diseases spread between animals and people. These are known as zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic means infectious diseases that are spread between animals and people. Because these diseases can cause sickness or death in people, CDC is always tracking and reporting them.

Animals provide many benefits to people. Many people interact with animals in their daily lives, both at home and away from home. Pets offer companionship and entertainment, with millions of households having one or more pets. We might come into close contact with animals at a county fair or petting zoo, or encounter wildlife while enjoying outdoor activities. Also, animals are an important food source and provide meat, dairy, and eggs.

However, some animals can carry harmful germs that can be shared with people and cause illness – these are known as zoonotic diseases or zoonoses. Zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacterial, parasites, and fungi. These germs can cause many different types of illnesses in people and animals ranging from mild to serious illness and even death. Some animals can appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick.

Zoonotic diseases are very common, both in the United States and around the world. Scientists estimate that more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people are spread from animals, and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people are spread from animals. Every year, tens of thousands of Americans will get sick from harmful germs spread between animals and people. Because of this, CDC works 24/7 to protect people from zoonotic diseases.

Animals and health

Check out these CDC resources to learn more.

• Zoonotic Infections: Information about zoonotic outbreaks, prevention messages, and helpful resources.

• Healthy Pets, Healthy People: Information on health benefits of pets, disease risks, and prevention resources.

• US Outbreaks of Zoonotic Diseases Spread Between Animals and People: Information about zoonotic outbreaks, caused by germs like Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter bacteria.

• Swine Influenza/Variant Influenza Virus: Information on swine influenza, which is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza in pigs.

• Avian Influenza: Information on the disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.

How do germs spread between animals and people?

Because of the close connection between people and animals, it’s important to be aware of the common ways people can get infected with germs that can cause zoonotic diseases. These can include:

• Direct contact: Coming into contact with the saliva, blood, urine, mucous, feces, or other body fluids of an infected animal. Examples include petting or touching animals, and bites or scratches.

• Indirect contact: Coming into contact with areas where animals live and roam, or objects or surfaces that have been contaminated with germs. Examples include aquarium tank water, pet habitats, chicken coops, plants, and soil, as well as pet food and water dishes.

• Vector-borne: Being bitten by a tick, or an insect like a mosquito or a flea.

• Foodborne: Each year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick from eating contaminated food. Eating or drinking something unsafe (such as unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat or eggs, or raw fruits and vegetables that are contaminated with feces from an infected animal).

Who is at a higher risk of serious illness from zoonotic diseases?

Anyone can become sick from a zoonotic disease, including healthy people. However, some people may be more at risk than others and should take steps to protect themselves or family members. These people are more likely than others to get really sick, and even die, from infection with certain diseases. These groups of people include:

• Children younger than 5

• Adults older than 65

• People with weakened immune systems

What can you do to protect yourself and your family from zoonotic diseases?

People can come into contact with animals in many places. This includes at home and away from home, in places like petting zoos, fairs, schools, stores, and parks. Insects, like mosquitoes and fleas, and ticks bite people and animals day and night. Thankfully, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family from zoonotic diseases.

• Keep hands clean. Washing your hands right after being around animals, even if you didn’t touch any animals, is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.

  • Always wash your hands after being around animals, even if you didn’t touch the animals.

  • Many germs are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.

  • If clean, running water is not accessible, use soap and available water.

  • If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands. Because hand sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs, it is important to wash your hands as soon as soap and water are available.

• Know the simple things you can do to stay safe around your pets.

• Prevent bites from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas.

• Learn more about ways to handle food safely—whether it’s for yourself or your family, your pet, or other animals.

• Be aware of zoonotic diseases both at home, away from home (such as at petting zoos or other animal exhibits), in child care settings or schools and when you travel.

• Avoid bites and scratches from animals.

Salmonella Infection: More Information

Learn more about salmonellosis at CDC’s Salmonella website, which includes answers to frequently asked questions, technical information, and additional resources.

Educational materials

Pets Can Make People Sick
CDC Expert Commentary, Medscape video

Selected Multistate Outbreaks of Salmonella  Gastrointestinal Diseases from Animals

Live poultry

Risk of Human Salmonella Infections from Live Baby Poultry
Feature

Keeping Backyard Poultry
Feature

Healthy Pets Healthy People: Backyard Poultry

Why Parents Should Think Twice Before Giving Baby Birds to Young Children for Easter
Kidtastics podcast

Live Baby Poultry and Preventing Salmonella Infections
Poster; PDF versions and En español

Peep, chirp, quack! What you should know about Salmonella if you keep live poultry
Formatted article[PDF-1 page]

Reptiles

Take Care with Pet Reptiles and Amphibians
Feature

The Trouble with Turtles
Minute of Health podcast

Podcast: The Trouble with Turtles
A Cup of Health podcast

Wash Away Salmonella
Minute of Health podcast