With the news that Peanut Corporation of America had knowingly supplied Salmonella-contaminated peanut products to its buyers, even President Obama is pondering whether it is safe to let his daughters eat their weekly ration of PB & J’s. Prior to this recent breaking news, few people would have associated peanut butter with Salmonella food poisoning. Salmonella infections have traditionally been associated with raw eggs, chicken, undercooked meat, and pet turtles. Now that we have peanut butter to worry about, it is time to review the symptoms of a Salmonella infection.

Salmonella typhimurium was the strain of bacteria found in the recently recalled peanut products and is one of the most common causes of food poisoning, or gastroenteritis. This microscopic organism lives in the intestines of animals and is passed via feces to other animals or people. The initial symptoms of a Salmonella infection are nausea and vomiting, then abdominal cramps and diarrhea. The diarrhea can be bloody, and fever and chills, as well as muscle pains, can be present. These symptoms may appear from about twelve hours to four days from the time of ingestion of the contaminated food and usually resolve spontaneously without any specific antibiotic treatment within a few days to a week. Often the symptoms are mild enough that the infected person doesn’t even know Salmonella was the cause of his “stomach bug.” Problems arise when this bacteria infects an infant, elderly person, or someone with a compromised immune system. Unable to contain the bacteria, these individuals become sicker as the bacteria passes into the bloodstream, causing bacteremia, sepsis, and possible death.

The only way to know with certainty if Salmonella is the causative agent of this illness is to see a doctor and have a stool culture sent to a laboratory. Treatment of a Salmonella infection includes adequate hydration, as well as temporarily eating bland foods and avoiding milk products. The time to see a doctor is when the symptoms last more than a week, or when persistent vomiting or bloody diarrhea is present. In severe cases when the infection has traveled outside the intestines, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics. The simple measure of frequent hand washing, particularly after using the bathroom, can prevent the spread of the infection from person to person. Unfortunately, just as important a preventive measure for now is reading food labels and discerning the source of peanut products.

Dr. Louise Moody is a partner in Secure Medical Care, a walk-in urgent care medical clinic, located at 10452 Baltimore Ave, in Beltsville, MD, 301.441.3355, www.securemedicalcare.com.