Food poisoning, at home or aborad, can cause serious problems and leaves victims very poorly. In a study compiled by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health at the end of 2010, they identified that a total of 9,079 Salmonella cases had been reported in England and Wales. What will never be known is how many unreported or undiagnosed cases there were and where the cases of Salmonella were contracted.

In the last few years, we have dealt with an increasing number of claims where people have been infected with Salmonella. As a result, they have made successful holiday compensation claims.

We thought it would be useful to provide some basic information to give people a better understanding of the severity of Salmonella poisoning.

What is Salmonella?

There are various strains of Salmonella but they have many common factors. Salmonella itself is a type of bacteria and is most commonly found in poultry, eggs, dairy and meat. It is not a fussy bacteria and will infect any age group, but as with most types of bacteria, those with weaker immune systems are most at threat.

How do I get Salmonella?

One of the most common ways to catch Salmonella is through under-prepared food or from the faeces of infected people. It is not uncommon for poor hygiene to be the cause where people fail to wash their hands after handling infected food.

The most common types of Salmonella have an incubation period of between 8 and 48 hours. That means that you may not begin to suffer from any symptoms until perhaps 2 days after being infected. For that reason, it is often difficult to identify the source accurately.

What are the Symptoms of Salmonella?

The most common symptoms are:-

• Diarrhea
• Vomitting
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Fever

Dependent upon the severity of the infection, you may not suffer from all of the symptoms, but even if the infection is only mild, it is likely to cause significant disruption and discomfort.

Symptoms typically last from 2 – 5 days, but it is not uncommon for the problems to last longer or for further problems to be caused. For example, Irritable Bowel Syndrome can often result from infection and this may cause other subsequent symptoms.

It is important that you get specialist medical care if you believe that you are suffering from Salmonella poisoning. It is not uncommon for people suffering to become dehydrated and this may also cause complicating factors.

It is possible to treat Salmonella infection with antibiotics, but medical advice also tends to include getting lots of fluid and resting.

If having read the information above, you suspect that you have contracted Salmonella infection or another illness as a result of the negligence or failures of you holiday company, then get in touch. We will be able to help you with your holiday compensation claim. We will be able to advise you on a no win no fee basis and ensure that you retain 100% of your compensation.