Salmonella typhi infection in adults is not limited to travellers returning from the tropics

We reviewed the case notes of 23 adult patients infected with Salmonella typhi and admitted to the infectious disease unit, Auckland Hospital between January 1977 and December 1984. Fifteen had typhoid fever and eight were chronic carriers of S typhi. All isolates were sensitive to amoxycillin, chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole. Ten of those with typhoid fever had recently been in tropical countries, predominantly Pacific Islands. The remaining five all lived in South Auckland and had not travelled out of New Zealand: we suspect that contaminated shellfish collected from the Manukau Harbour in South Auckland were the source. Typhoid fever should be suspected in young travellers returning to New Zealand with fever, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and headache. Similarly this diagnosis should be suspected in Polynesians and Maoris from South Auckland who have not travelled. All but one patient with typhoid fever responded clinically to the initial regimen which was usually oral amoxycillin given for a median 18 days. One other patient relapsed. Cholescystectomy and subsequent oral antibacterials eradicated S typhi from five biliary carriers with abnormal gallbladders. Prolonged high dose oral amoxycillin alone was effective in one of two carrier patients with normal gallbladders. The role of the Department of Health in identifying carriers of S typhi remains important.