[Infections due to several species of Salmonella in Mendoza, Argentina]

Fifty nine sporadic cases and forty five cases from six outbreaks of salmonellosis occurring in Mendoza, Argentina between 1972-76 are reported. All 104 patients were studied epidemiologically searching for the etiologic agent, implicated food and contacts. Stools of patients and contacts were examined. Other clinical specimens and the implicated foods were examined bacteriologically. The Salmonella isolates were classified in eleven serotypes with the following order of frequency: a) Outbreaks: S. typhimurium (50,0%), S. derby (16,7%), S. newport (16,7%), S. bredeney (16,7%), S. enteritidis (16,7%), S. cholerae-suis (16,7%) and S. oranienburg (16,7%). b) Sporadic cases; S. typhimurium (35,9%), S. newport (15,6%), S. anatum (7,8%), S. oranienburg (6,2%), S. derby (4,7%), S. java (3,1%), S. cholerae-suis (3,1%), S. bredeney (1,6%), S. enteritidis (1,6%), S. minnesota (1,6%), S. urbana (1,6%), and Salmonella spp (17,2%). These results are compared with those obtained in the same areas between 1962-71 and with the serotype frequencies from different sources of infection found in Mendoza and other regions.