Salmonella is the name of a group of bacteria. In the United States, it is a common cause of foodborne illness. Salmonella occurs in raw poultry, eggs, beef, and sometimes on unwashed fruit and vegetables. You can also get infected after handling pets, especially reptiles like snakes, turtles and lizards. Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Headache
• Possible nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite

Symptoms usually last four to seven days. Your health care provider diagnoses the infection with a stool test. Most people get better without treatment. Infection can be more serious in the elderly, infants and people with chronic health problems. If Salmonella gets into the bloodstream, it can be serious. The usual treatment is antibiotics.

Typhoid fever, a more serious disease caused by Salmonella, is not common in the United States. It frequently occurs in developing countries.