Salmonellosis in the United States--a five-year review.

Abstract

Aserkoff, B., S. A. Schroeder and P. S. Brachman (Bacterial Diseases Branch, NCDC, Atlanta, Ga. 30333). Salmonellosis in the United States—a five-yearreview. Amer. J. Epid., 1970, 92: 13–24.—In 1963, a national program of salmonella surveillance based on the laboratory identification of salmonellao was instituted. The results of the first 5 years of surveillance (1963–1967) document the epidemiologic characteristics of salmonellosis and indicate where control measures can be effective. The reported average annual incidence of salmonellosis in the United States was 10.4 isolations per 100,000 population. However, data on the number of unreported cases obtained from investigations of several large epidemics suggest that the actual incidence may be as great as 100 times that reported. A close correlation between human salmonellosis and isolations from nonhuman sources was documented. First, the same serotypes commonly isolated from humans and commonly responsible for epidemics were also commonly isolated from nonhuman sources. Second, poultry and poultry products responsible for nearly half of the common-vehicle epidemics were associated with nearly half of the nonhuman isolations. Improvements in the poultry and egg processing industries and particularly in the animal rendering industry should significantly reduce the incidence of salmonellosis in the United States. In contrast to nontyphoid salmonellosis, the annual number of cases of typhoid fever has fallen markedly. Most cases are now occuring in the younger age groups. With reduction in the number of carriers by effective antibiotic treatment, typhoid fever can be eradicated in the United States.