[Epidemiological characteristics of salmonellosis in Vojvodina]

Salmonella infections are the most common food-born diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Epidemics of salmonellosis occur after eating improperly cooked contaminated foods.

A descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyse epidemiological characteristics of salmonellosis in Vojvodina in the period 1978-2003.

During this period there were 26,851 cases of salmonellosis (mean annual incidence of 51.1/100,000 and mean annual mortality of 0.9/100,000). Mean annual case fatality ratio during this period was 0.1%. The specific incidence was highest in 12-24 month-old children (251/100,000), and lowest in the oldest age group (13.9/100,000). Lethality was highest in children younger than 1 year, and persons older than 50 years (84%). The number of cases registered in food-born epidemics makes 41.7% of all registered cases. A mayority of 772 registered epidemics were small epidemics among families, relatives and friends. The great epidemics with large number of infected persons were due to an industrial bakery with 1713 ill persons and a public restaurant with 311 ill persons during the 80's. An epidemic was due to sandwiches from an industrial bakery distributed through the whole territory of Vojvodina with the highest incidence of salmonellosis in 1987 (137.7/100,000). The most common serotype was S. Enteritidis (69.7%), but 68 more serotypes were isolated. The most common cause of epidemics were eggs and egg products (76.2%). Salmonella spp. was isolated from food in small number of epidemics (less than 20%), because epidemics were discovered usually 2 or 3 days after their beginning.