Ten years experience of Salmonella infections in Cambridge, UK

Objectives Review of all Salmonella infections diagnosed in the Cambridge area over 10 years. Methods All Salmonella enterica isolated in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Addenbrooke's Hospital between 1.1.1999 and 31.12.2008 were included. Patient demographics, serotype and additional relevant details (travel history, resistance-type, phage-type) were recorded. Results 1003 episodes of Salmonella gastroenteritis were confirmed by stool culture, representing 88 serotypes. Serotypes Enteritidis (59%), Typhimurium (4.7%), Virchow (2.6%), Newport (1.8%) and Braenderup (1.7%) were the 5 most common isolates. There were an additional 37 invasive Salmonella infections (32 blood cultures, 4 tissue samples, 1 CSF). 13/15 patients with Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi isolated from blood or faeces with an available travel history had returned from the Indian subcontinent. 8/10 S. Typhi or Paratyphi isolates tested had reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones (MIC = 0.125 mg/L). 7/21 patients with non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia were known to be immunosuppressed. Conclusion This study describes Salmonella serotypes circulating within a defined geographical area over a decade. Prospective molecular analysis of isolates of S. enterica by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection will determine the geo-phylogenetic relationship of isolates within our region.