Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne infections in the world. An estimated 93.8 million cases of salmonella-related gastroenteritis occur globally each year, causing roughly 155,000 deaths. In the United States alone, about 1.28 million people get sick from salmonella annually, leading to 12,500 hospitalizations and 238 deaths. That makes it the leading cause of death among all domestically acquired foodborne illnesses in the country.
U.S. Infection Rates
The most recent national data puts the rate at 14.4 laboratory-diagnosed salmonella infections per 100,000 people in 2022. That’s actually a slight improvement from the 2016 to 2018 baseline of 15.3 per 100,000, but still well above the national target of 11.5 per 100,000 set by the Healthy People 2030 initiative. These numbers only capture cases that are confirmed through lab testing. Many milder infections go unreported because people recover at home without ever seeing a doctor, which means the true number of cases is significantly higher than what surveillance systems pick up.
Who Gets Sick Most Often
Young children face the highest risk by a wide margin. Infants under one year old get salmonella at a rate of about 65 per 100,000, roughly four to five times the national average. Children aged one to four aren’t far behind at 32.4 per 100,000. Their immune systems are still developing, they’re more likely to put contaminated objects in their mouths, and caregivers may inadvertently expose them through improperly handled food. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are also at elevated risk for severe illness, even if their overall infection rates are lower.
Where Infections Come From
About 80 million of the 93.8 million global cases each year are foodborne, meaning contaminated food is the primary route of transmission. The specific foods responsible vary by country, but in the United States, poultry and eggs consistently top the list.
Expert estimates attribute roughly 35% of U.S. foodborne salmonella illnesses to poultry and 22% to eggs. Produce accounts for about 12%, and beef contributes around 11%. Outbreak data tells a slightly different story: vine and stalk vegetables (like tomatoes and peppers) were linked to about 21% of outbreak-related infections between 1998 and 2008, with poultry at 19% and eggs at 15%. The difference reflects how outbreaks tend to cluster around produce items that are eaten raw and distributed widely.
Patterns look very different in other parts of the world. In the European Union, eggs and egg products account for roughly 44% of salmonella cases. In Japan, that figure is even higher at 63%. In New Zealand, pork is the dominant source at 60%. These differences reflect local food production practices, animal reservoir patterns, and how food is typically prepared and consumed in each region.
The Strains That Cause Most Illness
Not all salmonella is the same. There are over 2,500 known serotypes, but a handful cause the vast majority of human infections. Salmonella Enteritidis is the most common, responsible for about 42% of confirmed human cases. It’s strongly associated with poultry and eggs. Salmonella Typhimurium comes in second at around 11%, and it tends to have a broader range of animal sources including pigs, cattle, and poultry. A closely related variant rounds out the top three at about 8%.
What It Costs
Salmonella’s toll goes beyond the physical. Foodborne salmonella infections cost the U.S. an estimated $3.7 billion per year in medical expenses, lost wages, and the societal cost of premature deaths. Almost 90% of that burden, about $3.3 billion, comes from deaths. Hospitalizations account for 8%, and the remaining 3% covers costs from cases that don’t require a hospital stay. For an illness that most people think of as a few bad days of stomach trouble, the economic impact is strikingly concentrated in its most severe outcomes.
Why Cases Remain High
Despite decades of food safety improvements, salmonella rates have proven stubbornly resistant to decline. Part of the challenge is the sheer diversity of sources. Unlike some pathogens that are tied to a single food, salmonella spreads through poultry, eggs, produce, beef, pork, dairy, and even pet reptiles and amphibians. Contamination can happen at any point from the farm to your kitchen counter. The bacteria live naturally in the intestines of many animals without making them visibly sick, so infected products look, smell, and taste completely normal.
Cross-contamination during food preparation is another persistent driver. Cutting boards, utensils, and hands that touch raw poultry can transfer bacteria to foods that won’t be cooked before eating. And because salmonella thrives in a wide temperature range, food left out too long or not cooked to a high enough internal temperature provides an easy path to infection. Most healthy adults recover within four to seven days without treatment, but the infection can turn dangerous quickly in young children, older adults, and anyone with a compromised immune system.