Eye Infections and Salmonella: Understanding the Connection

Salmonella is a bacteria that normally infects the stomach. Salmonella does not actually get into the eye, but eye infections are one of the symptoms of Reiter's syndrome, which is a secondary infection caused by Salmonella poisoning.

Time Frame

• According to the Penn State, the symptoms of Reiter's syndrome usually occur between 7 to 14 days after a person has been infected with the Salmonella bacterium.

Conjunctivitis

• Penn State explains that Reiter's syndrome causes conjunctivitis, which is redness and a burning or itching sensation inside the eyelid. This can cause the eyes to water excessively.

Iritis

• Iritis, an inflammation of the iris (the colored part of the eye) is common in Reiter's syndrome. The symptoms are eye pain and redness of the iris, according to Web MD.

Diagnosis

• The doctor will run a test for the HLA-B27 genetic marker, according to Penn State. This will let him know if the patient is genetically susceptible to getting this disease.

Treatment

• The University of Washington's Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and Web MD websites indicate that iritis and conjunctivitis are treated with medicated or steroid-based eye drops.