Salmonella Symptoms: Are My Kids Safe?

(CBS) There are more than 2,000 strains of salmonella bacteria, according to the Mayo Clinic, but only a dozen or so make people sick.

How is a parent to know if their child's upset stomach is just a bad meal or something more serious?

PICTURES: 9 Signs of Salmonella Poisoning

Sometimes the discomfort is so severe that "you're almost more afraid that you're going to live," says Dr. William A. Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, Tenn.

Salmonella is most often contracted by eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs.

Most often, salmonella poisoning results in gastroenteritis, a severe stomach illness. The most common symptoms, such as nausea, cramps, and headache, can often look a lot like those caused by minor ailments.

Sometimes salmonella can result in typhoid fever, a disease with high fever and inflamed intestines, more commonly found in the developing world.

How can you tell when you are really sick? Check out our handy slide show.