What you should do
Always follow the four steps to food safety to prevent getting sick from Salmonella.
Actions to take
- CleanWash your hands, utensils, and surfaces often. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or peeling.
- SeparateKeep food that won't be cooked separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
- CookUse a food thermometer to make sure you have cooked your food to a temperature high enough to kill germs.
- ChillRefrigerate perishable food (food that goes bad) within 2 hours. If the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F (like a hot car or picnic), refrigerate it within 1 hour. Thaw food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
Symptoms of Salmonella
- Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
- Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
- Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
- Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
Read more
For more information about Salmonella, see the About Salmonella Infection page.
Content Source
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
About This Page
Published: August 5, 2026
Updated: October 2, 2026
This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.
Reviewed: October 2, 2026
The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.