Diseases — Salmonella

Overview

Salmonella is a common bacterial infection contracted primarily through the consumption of raw meat or contaminated water. If left untreated, it causes consistent vomiting, leading to rapid dehydration and death, making it a critical threat to your survival during early-game scavenging.

How It Works

Salmonella is triggered when your character consumes raw animal fat, raw meat, or food items while having dirty (bloody) hands. Once infected, you will experience the "vomiting" status indicator. The infection progresses quickly, causing your food and water levels to drop significantly every time you vomit. The disease is cured by building up your immune system or using specific medical supplies to combat the bacteria.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cease all eating and drinking immediately upon seeing the vomiting icon to prevent further fluid loss.
2. Consume one Tetracycline antibiotic pill and wait for the pill icon to disappear from your HUD before taking another.
3. Consume one Vitamin bottle to boost your immune system, which helps your body fight off the remaining bacterial load.
4. If you have no medication, eat food and drink water in extremely small, staggered amounts—only one or two sips/bites at a time—to avoid triggering the vomiting animation.
5. Stay dry and keep your core temperature high to maintain a high immune status, which accelerates recovery.
6. Once the vomiting icon vanishes, continue taking vitamins until your health status stabilizes.

Tips

• Always wash your hands at a water pump or with a Disinfectant Spray before eating if your hands have a blood texture on them.
• Cook all animal meat and fat until it reaches a dark brown, cooked state; never eat "dried" or "baked" items if they appear raw in the inventory slot.
• Use a pot to boil water or chlorine tablets to purify water sources, as drinking from stagnant ponds often carries a risk of infection.
• Keep your food and water meters in the white; a healthy, full-bellied survivor has a significantly stronger immune system that can occasionally overcome mild food poisoning without meds.
• If you are starving and have no food, prioritize hunting small game and cooking it over a fireplace to ensure it is 100% safe to consume.

Common Mistakes

• Attempting to eat a large portion of food while actively suffering from the vomiting status, which only leads to immediate fluid loss.
• Eating raw animal fat; this is the most concentrated source of Salmonella and will almost certainly result in a severe infection.
• Using unwashed hands to eat or bandage wounds, which transfers pathogens directly into your system.
• Popping multiple Tetracycline pills at once; the game does not stack the effect, meaning you are simply wasting precious medicine.

Related Items

• Tetracyclineantibiotics
• Vitaminbottle
• Charcoaltablets

Related Guides

• Cooking
• Hunting and Skinning
• Water Purification