Treatment For Salmonella Infection
The infection manifests itself in the form of diarrhea and it is usually transmitted by eating contaminated foods of animal origin. Usually foods like beef, poultry, milk or eggs get contaminated by animal feces containing the bacteria and this leads to the infection. It is also possible to get the infection through contaminated vegetables and fruits. It is not unheard of people getting the infection after eating contaminated peanut butter.
Under normal circumstances, Salmonella infection does not require medical treatment and the infection goes away on its own after 5 to 7 days. However, when the infected person is severely dehydrated, medical intervention is necessary as it be fatal. Treatment is also required when the infection spreads from the intestine to the other parts of the body.
The spread of infection to other organs in the body is treated with antibiotics like ampicillin, gentamicin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or ciprofloxacin. Dehydration is treated either with intravenous or oral fluids, depending on the severity of the person’s condition.
Of late, treating Salmonella infection has become difficult because some of the bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics and experts believe that is because antibiotics are being used to encourage growth in feed animals. The infection is quite widespread in North America and Europe.