EPIDEMIOLOGY OF NONTYPHOIDAL SALMONELLAE AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTER IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA

Nontyphoidal salmonellae (NTS) are often isolated from stool specimens of individuals having evaluation of gastroenteritis. The significance of isolation of NTS in a stool specimen from previously healthy individuals with gastroenteritis is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine which serotypes were being isolated most frequently and whether some serotypes were responsible for the majority of infections. A 6-year review yielded 433 stool isolates of NTS. Only 12 isolates were from specimens other than stool. Thirty-five different strains were isolated over the 6-year period. The most common isolates were S javiana, 126 (29%); S newport, 85 (20%); S typhimurium, 47 (11%); S muenchen, 28 (7%); and S heidelberg, 21 (6%). These five strains were isolated in each of the 6 years of the review and were responsible for 313 (72%) isolates. The most common isolate for each year was S javiana, a strain that has not previously been reported as the predominant human isolate in invasive diseases or in outbreaks. In fact, S javiana is not even among the 10 most common NTS isolates reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nationally.