Salmonellosis in Indonesia: phage type distribution of Salmonella paratyphi A

The distribution of phage types among 221 human strains of Salmonella paratyphi A in Indonesia was studied. Approximately 50% were phage type 5, a rare type elsewhere in the world. Most other isolates were the cosmopolitan phage type 1. The ratio of phage type 1-5 was compared for two cities on Java, Jakarta and Yogyakarta. The ratios were significantly different, phage type 5 predominating in Jakarta. The ratio of phage types among 10 S. paratyphi A strains isolated from Jakarta river water was similar to that found in Jakarta patients.