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Salmonellosis in infants: the importance of intrafamilial transmission
Insights
Families with infant patients had more prior diarrheal illness than families with older children. This suggests intrafamilial transmission of Salmonella is a key factor in infant salmonellosis cases.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Salmonella infections are a significant cause of diarrheal illness in infants.
- Understanding transmission routes is crucial for preventing infant salmonellosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of intrafamilial transmission in infant Salmonella cases.
- To identify potential sources of Salmonella exposure for infants.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of Salmonella surveillance data from Wisconsin.
- Comparison of diarrheal illness history in families with infant versus older child index patients.
Main Results:
- Families with infant index patients were more likely to report prior diarrheal illness (39%) compared to families with 5- to 9-year-old index patients (13%).
- Infants aged 0-2 months with siblings had a higher prevalence of prior family diarrheal illness.
- Older children and adults in households were identified as potential sources of Salmonella exposure for young infants.
Conclusions:
- Intrafamilial transmission of Salmonella is a significant contributor to infant salmonellosis.
- Older children and adults may be the primary source of Salmonella infection for infants aged 0-2 months.
Abstract:
In a retrospective review of Wisconsin Salmonella surveillance data, we found that 73 (39%) of 187 families with infant index patients has at least one family members with prior diarrheal illness, compared with only 20 (13%) of 158 families with 5- to 9-year-old index patients (P less than .0001). Prior diarrheal illness was also more commonly identified in families with an infant index patient 0 to 2 months of age (28 of 52 families) than in families with an index patient 3 to 11 months (45 of 135 families) (P less than .02); this difference was found largely in families of infant index patients with siblings. Intrafamilial transmission of Salmonella may explain a large proportion of cases of infant salmonellosis. Older children and adults with salmonellosis may be the most important exposures for infants 0 to 2 months of age.