What are common clinical signs of people with Salmonella infection?

• A. Cough and runny nose
• B. Rash and joint pain
• C. Loose stools, often without blood; usually self limiting
• D. Headache and dizziness

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is that common Salmonella infections mainly present as gastrointestinal illness. The best description is loose stools or watery diarrhea, often without blood, that is typically self-limiting in healthy people. This reflects the usual course of non-typhoidal Salmonella gastroenteritis, where the gut is irritated by the bacteria causing diarrhea, cramps, and sometimes mild fever, and most people recover without antibiotics.

The other symptom patterns don’t fit as the typical presentation. Cough and a runny nose point to a respiratory infection, not Salmonella. Rash and joint pain can occur in some infections or as a reactive complication, but they are not the common immediate signs of Salmonella gastroenteritis. Headache and dizziness are nonspecific and don’t characterize the usual GI-focused illness caused by Salmonella.