[Characteristics of Salmonella strains isolated from different environments in the years 1982-1993]

The examination of Salmonella strains isolated from hospital patients and out-patients was performed. The results of sensitivity tests of strains isolated in Poland, and from patients of "Third World countries" were compared. In both groups were the strains caused nosocomial infections, which were resistant to Ampicillin and Chloramphenicol. Eight of the Polish strains of S. Typhimurium were cultured from autopsy specimens which were obtained from the newborn ward. S. Typhimurium isolated from specimens of the patients of the children's, ward of Derna Hospital was the cause of 162 cases on nosocomial infections over the period of four months. The ill children were between the ages of the two days old (newborn child in incubator) and eleven years old. It is important to note that in one case S. Enteritidis was isolated from the blood of a hospital patient in critical condition. A much higher percentage (85%) of the strains isolated from out-patients in Poland showed resistance to Tetracycline in comparison with the strains cultured from out-patients in countries of the Third World (7%). The resistance to Tetracycline may be connected with the addition of this antibiotic to food for farm animals in Poland, and can indicate the circulation of animal strains in the human population. In this research we used the latest classification of Salmonella genus.