Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of people, animals and birds. Most people are infected with salmonella by eating foods that have been contaminated by feces. Commonly infected foods include: 1  Raw meat, poultry and seafood. 2  Feces may get onto raw meat and poultry during the butchering process.3  Seafood may be contaminated if harvested from contaminated water.4  Raw eggs.ost people are infected with salmonella by eating foods that have been contaminated by feces. Commonly infected foods include: 1  Raw meat, poultry and seafood. 2  Feces may get onto raw meat and poultry during the butchering process.
Typhoid fever is an acute illness associated with fever caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. It can also be caused by Salmonella paratyphi, a related bacterium that usually causes a less severe illness.The bacteria are deposited in water or food by a human carrier and are then spread to other people in the area.yphoid fever is contracted by drinking or eating the bacteria in contaminated food or water. People with acute illness can contaminate the surrounding water supply through stool, which contains a high concentration of the bacteria. Contamination of the water supply can, in turn, taint the food supply.
Description and significance. There are over 2,000 various groupings (serovars) that comprise S. enterica, each very closely related to each other making Salmonella typhi a prime example of a serovar. Salmonella typhi is a gram negative bacterium that causes systemic infections and typhoid fever in humans. This rod-shaped, flagellated organismâs sole reservoir is humans. It has caused many deaths in developing countries where sanitation is poor and is spread through contamination of water and undercooked food.