Is salmonella inevitable?

[Motp249]

I’m pretty scared right now. So because my family is suffering financially, I have to work with my mom in this company where we stock & help set up in various stores.

Today, we had to go to the warehouse of a Dollar General, where there was recently a rat inside of. Rats carry salmonella, don’t they? So it’s very likely that they could’ve walked around and on top of the boxes I had to touch and open.

Well, I have a cut on my thumb where the skin and the nail meet. I don’t know how long I’ve had it, the blood seems dry but it also has a shiny look so it’s fairly recent. I ended up accidentally touching that cut several times, once for a few seconds too, and I seen on multiple sources & forums that salmonella CAN enter through a cut.. I’m honestly really scared right now. Why do these things keep happening to me? I literally can’t go one week without getting into a situation where I possibly expose myself! Please help!

[MichelleKS2018]

I did some looking around and from what I am reading, first you are right they do carry it but you would still have to mostly ingest it. The other way appears to be scratches and bites given by the rat. I did not see one saying 100% yes to lready having a cut there..so that part I am uncertain about. With how small of a scratch it sounds like I am betti g it was closed up enough by now to protect you just in case. Sounds like to me it would be an unlikely incident.

[Motp249]

My cut is a hangnail btw. Well, I’m still really scared about this, I don’t know what’s going to happen or how long ‘till it hits. If it does, I mean. But thank you for your answer. Honestly, wiki articles don’t mention anything about open sounds & a good amount of people in forums will answer either yes or no to whether or not it can infect you through open wounds.

[Motp249]

Sorry to double post. Just wanted to point out that I noticed most of the posts I’ve seen that say it can infect through a wound usually refer to handling raw chicken with a cut but maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes up..

[MichelleKS2018]

I hope you dodge it...it takes 12 to 72 hours for symptoms to show up from what I have seen. Keep me posted.

[Srk2756]

Are you worried about GI symptoms or infection on your cut? GI symptoms wouldn't be possible as salmonella has to enter the GI tract for that.

If you experience redness, warm to the touch, or swelling then I would get it looked at. You will probably be fine though

[MichelleKS2018]

MotP I am sure is worried about GI Symptoms. Just found an article where they talk about that bacteria going in through a wound only I have only found with chicken not rats. Ive personally only ever heard of it getting in the system through the mouth. I am thinking some people are saying it because 1 person got it and they think that's where it came from because they dont know the truth.