In most instances, when Salmonella is ingested, it is usually neutralized by the acids in the stomach. But people who ingest antacids or heartburn medicines can provide a better environment for the foodborne illness pathogen to survive by making stomach’s pH level a more suitable environment. The surviving Salmonella then move on to the intestine, where they attach themselves to the intestinal lining causing salmonellosis, an infection caused by Salmonella bacteria.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstance, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), septicemia, endocarditis and reactive arthritis.
The CDC estimates that every year in the U.S. there are about 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis. 95 % of those cases are related to foodborne sources. Out of every 1000 cases of Salmonella poisoning, approximately 220 result in hospitalization and 8 result in death. In fact, 31 % of all deaths from food poisoning may be attributed to Salmonella.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
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