Salmonella species infections can sometimes masquerade as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is a condition normally associated with sexually transmitted infections in women.
We tend to think of Salmonella as something we get from chicken in food poisoning, but Salmonella can infect just about any tissue on the human body. It is an opportunistic pathogen.
The most common causes of pelvic salmonellosis are Salmonella panama and Salmonella enteritidis. Salmonella species are fond of colonising the cells of the fallopian tubes, and may be passed via the blood or the bowels, with relapses/incomplete cure common. Salmonella pelvic inflammatory disease has been reported in multiple countries.
Symptoms of Salmonella pelvic infection
- Lower abdominal pain
- Fever
- Discharge
- Bowel symptoms (diarrhoea)
Treatment for Salmonella in the pelvis
Biomedical treatments include ciprofloxacin for non-typhoidal salmonellosis. Quinolones are not likely to work.
Non-antibiotic treatments include vaginal garlic, however it may not be able to penetrate quite far enough to get into the reproductive organs, so should not be persisted with if this treatment fails.
Seek help from a trained practitioner, who can guide you through non-antibiotic treatments. If you are at risk of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, you should seek non-antibiotic treatments, and if necessary, get multiple opinions on treatment options.
References
- A.A. Kostiala, T. Ranta Pelvic inflammatory disease caused by Salmonella panama and its treatment with ciprofloxacin. Case report, Br J Obstet Gynaecol, 96 (1989), pp. 120-122
- T.H. Hung, C.J. Jeng, S.C. Su, K.G. Wang Pelvic abscess caused by Salmonella: a case report, Zhonghua Yi Xue Zhi (Taipei), 57 (1996), pp. 457-459
- K. Jayakumar, B. Appalaraju, V.K. Govindan An atypical presentation of salmonella typhi – a case report, Indian J Med Microbiol, 3 (2003), pp. 211-212
- M.E. Duncan, P.L. Perine, D.W. Krause Pelvic infection caused by Salmonella typhi. Two unusual cases, East Afr Med J, 58 (1981), pp. 703-707
- D.H. Saltzman, M.I. Evans, A.G. Robichaux III, J.H. Grossman III, A.J. Friedman Nongonococcal pelvic abscess caused by Salmonella enteritidis Obstet Gynaecol, 64 (1984), pp. 585-586
Jessica is a degree-qualified naturopath (BHSc) specialising in vulvovaginal health and disease, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Jessica is the owner and lead naturopath of My Vagina, and is a member of the:
- International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD)
- International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH)
- National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) Australia
- New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society (ANZVS)
- Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)