typhimurium is most commonly found in food of an animal origin. S. enteritidis is mainly associated with poultry and eggs. Most recently, a specific type of Salmonella Typhimurium, DT104, has emerged that is resistant to many antibiotics.

Anyone can get a Salmonella infection, but some groups are more likely to develop a serious illness: adults aged 65 and older, children younger than 5 years, and people with immune systems weakened from medical conditions, such as diabetes, liver or kidney disease, and cancer, or their treatment.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobe which causes a systemic infection in mice that resembles typhoid fever caused by S. enterica serovar Typhi in humans. Infection by Salmonella Typhimurium results in a self-limiting gastroenteritis in humans.

Rinsing tainted fruits and vegetables probably won’t get rid of salmonella, according to the FDA. In general, it’s important to handle foods safely. That generally means rinsing raw, whole fruits and vegetables under running water and, if you choose, scrubbing them with a small vegetable brush to remove surface dirt.

What about washing? Washing the produce at home is not a reliable way to remove bacteria. “The bacteria can be stuck on the surface of the lettuce, it can even get inside the lettuce,” Goodridge says. “So if you wash it, you might remove some of the bacteria, but you’re not removing 100 per cent.

Most people recover from Salmonella infection within four to seven days without antibiotics. People who are sick with a Salmonella infection should drink extra fluids as long as diarrhea lasts. Antibiotic treatment is recommended for: People with severe illness.