EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SALMONELLOSIS IN NEW YORK CITY

Cherubin, C. E., (Harlem Hospital Center, 136th St. and Lenox Ave., N. Y., N. Y. 10037), T. Fodor, L Denmark, C. Master, H. T. Fuerst and J. Winter. The epidemiology of salmonellosis in New York City. Amer, J. Epid., 1969, 90: 112-125.-The number of reported Salmonella isolates in New York City more than doubled between 1962 and 1964. Evidence suggested that the increase was mainly due to an increased use of stool cultures and increased use of the sero-typing laboratories. The hospital outbreaks of S. derby in 1964, however, did contribute to the apparent steepness of the rise. All known isolations of Salmonella in New York City for 1965 and 1966 (2,200) were analysed. The outstanding epidemologic findings were: 1) The largest number of cases became symptomatic in June; 2) there appeared to be an association between salmonellosis (particularly S. typhimurium) and low income areas in the city; 3) this association was greatest in childhood and decreased with age; 4) the distribution of serotypes differed between sporadic cases, family outbreaks and general outbreaks; 5) and, when several different serotypes occurred in one person or in a family group, certain serotypes, most notable S. heidelberg and rare serotypes, appeared more frequently than would be expected. The hypothesis that explained many of these findings was that S. typhimurium maintained itself by person to person transmission, while all other serotypes (excluding S. typhi) were introduced into the community by food vehicles. © 1969, by THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.