[Salmonellosis in the Czech Republic 1989-1993]

The authors discuss the incidence of salmonelloses in the Czech Republic and analyze changes which developed during the period from 1989 to 1993. In 1989 a steep rise of cases of salmonellosis was recorded; 34,435 cases were notified which, as compared with the previous period, is a threefold rise of the incidence. This trend persists already for five years. So far the largest number of notified cases (43,558) was recorded in 1992. The death rate and case fatality rate from salmonellosis has been low for some years: the number of deaths is approximately 20-25 people per year. The salmonellosis epidemic in 1989-1993 spread to all regions of the Czech Republic. The most heavily affected regions are the South Moravian, North Moravian, East Bohemian and West Bohemian region. As to age distribution, it was revealed that the highest values of specific morbidity are in children in their first year of life and in 1-4-year-olds and that the greatest increment in 1989-1993 was notified in 1-4-year-old and in 5-9-year-old children. The dominating aetiological agent was Salmonella enteritidis, probably phagotype 8. Its ratio in the isolation of Salmonella strains is 87%. The largest number of epidemics in 1989-1991 was notified in communities with a communal catering type (workers canteens, catering for nursery schools and schools) and in communities where half the epidemics developed during family festivities (weddings, graduation, funerals, birthdays, pig-slaughtering feasts etc.). During the last two years the number of epidemics which develop in workshops producing foods and in private confectionaries is rising.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)