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Did you know that epidemiologists assume that for every case of salmonella poisoning, or salmonellosis, that is reported, there are more than 38 other people who get sick but don't go to their doctor or get tested? That means that the recent outbreak caused by contaminated peanut products could be responsible for over 20,000 illnesses! Such a widespread outbreak always leaves the public with a ton of questions - what exactly is salmonella poisoning? How serious is it? How is it treated? Here are some answers.

Salmonellosis begins when salmonella is ingested and the bacteria begin growing in the intestines. Most people's bodies fight it off and never get sick. Depending on the state of your immune system and how much bacteria you have, however, salmonella can resist the body's defenses and infect the colon. This can lead to serious symptoms, such as severe stomach pains, diarrhea, and fever, that generally last four to seven days.

The severity of someone's salmonella poisoning is also determined by the strength of their immune system and the amount of bacteria present. Another factor is age – the very young and very old are especially vulnerable to serious disease, and it can be fatal to people in these groups. Also, there are thousands of different strains of salmonella, and experts say that they appear to affect the body in slightly different ways. Some of them are worse for younger people, some for older. Some hit boys harder than girls, and some are worse for women than for men.

The above information came from an interesting article in the USA Today. You can check out my firm's website if you'd like more info on salmonella or other types of food poisoning, including food safety tips.