Salmonellosis usually begins with nausea and vomiting within 12 to 72 hours after ingesting food tainted with S. Enteritidis or S. Typhimurium. Symptoms often progress to include abdominal pains and diarrhea and may also include fever, chills, or muscle aches.

The symptoms usually last four to seven days and most people recover without receiving any medical treatment. In some cases, diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and if the infection spreads beyond the intestines, serious complications such as meningitis or sepsis may also develop.

The much rarer typhoid fever, which is caused by infection with S. Typhi bacteria, starts out with similar symptoms but progress to include raised rose-colored spots on the upper chest and splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen).