[Salmonellosis in young infants]

Abstract

In Germany Salmonella belong to the most frequently detected pathogens in bacterial enteritis, Remarkably infants show a higher incidence than adults. In addition to the intestinal symptoms extraintestinal complications, such as bacteremia, infections of the central nervous system and osteomyelitis, are responsible for the disease severity. An age specific source of infection is the often hardly detectable contamination of powdered infant formula. Also infants seem very susceptible to disease transmission through reptiles held in the family's home. Immunologic functions, which are partly age dependent, might be responsible for a high susceptibility and severe salmonella infection in individuals. Due to the reported problems infected infants under 6 months should receive antibiotic therapy. The use of probiotics is not (yet) established in this setting.