A case series of nontyphoidal Salmonella bacteraemia–some food for thought!

Abstract

Nontyphoidal salmonellae (NTS) are important foodborne pathogens. Mild to moderate gastroenteritis in healthy young adults is often self-limiting and requires no antibiotic treatment. Compromised hosts can develop severe disease complicated by bacteraemia and focal infection which may lead to devastating consequences. Bacteraemia, especially if it occurs without gastrointestinal symptoms should prompt careful clinical and microbiological evaluation. Appropriate antibiotics given in the correct doses for the recommended duration is vital for satisfactory outcome to completely eliminate the infection and prevent recurrences. Medical therapy should be combined with surgical management when indicated. Rational and controlled antibiotic use in human, veterinary and agriculture practices is essential to counter the increasing resistance that is developing in Salmonella worldwide. Adherence to good food hygiene practices will help prevent infections. We describe a case series of NTS bacteraemia in patients with underlying compromised conditions detected over a period of six months in the Microbiology Department of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v3i2.4711 Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases 2013; Vol.3(2):37-42

Keywords

• nontyphoidal salmonella
• bacteraemia
• compromised patients