[A five-year experience with zoonotic Salmonella at a pediatric reference centre]

Abstract

Background: Salmonella can cause asymptomatic infections, diarrhea, bacteremia and focal infections such as meningitis and osteomyelitis.

Aim: To describe clinical and microbiological aspects of infections by Salmonella spp. in children in a pediatric referral hospital: Centro Hospitalario Pereira Rossell, in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Materials and methods: Descriptive and retrospective study of 46 patients, from which Salmonella spp was isolated between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010.

Results: Salmonella spp was isolated in 46 children younger than 15 years old. 18 were below 2 years old and 5 children below three months. 24% of the children had risk factors, such as HIV infection, oncological diseases and malnutrition; low birth weight and pneumonia were associated conditions. No deaths were reported. The serotypes more frequently found were: Typhimurium and Enteritidis. Most of the strains were susceptible to ampicillin and third generation of cephalosporins.

Discussion: Diarrhea with blood was the predominant clinical presentation, and there were no outbreaks. Typhimurium and Enteritidis were the most common serotypes. Based on the profiles of susceptibility antimicrobial, we could maintain the same recommendations until the moment suggested.

Conclusions: we must consider the Salmonella infection in febrile children under risk of an invasive bacterial disease, with or without focal infection.