Salmonella infections in Singapore

The incidence of typhoid and paratyphoid in Singapore from 1976 to 1979 is reviewed. Common Vi-phage types were A, B1, B2, D1, D2 and E1. Most of the paratyphoid cases were imported but an outbreak of paratyphoid A started in 1979 for the first time in Singapore with a predominance of untypable phage type strains. Most of the strains of Salmonella typi and Salmonella paratyphi A & B were susceptible to antibiotics, except for 4 strains of S typhi isolated from imported cases. Infections caused by Salmonella typhimurium were most common in children under five. The strains were initially multiple-resistant to antibiotics, but gradually became more susceptible with decline in the number of cases. Among the salmonella serotypes isolated from clinical materials, Salmonella oranienburg showed multiple-resistance to antibiotics and started an outbreak among children in October 1978. A total of 55 serotypes other than salmonella typhimurium was isolated between 1976 and 1979, with most of them susceptible to the antibiotics except triple-sulpha.