Transient, asymptomatic colonisation of newborn, Ethiopian infants by Salmonella

We performed faecal cultures from 71 Addis Ababa infants. Salmonella spp. were found in 12 of 61 hospitalised infants. None had diarrhoea. Colonisation was most common (8/21) during the second week of life. There was no correlation to mode of delivery, breast feeding, type of ward or antibiotic treatment in this small sample.