Salmonellosis in Trinidad I: impact of an emerging serotype on public health - abstract

Outbreaks of salmonellosis have been known to occur in Trinidad but their frequency and intensity have increased since August, 1994. Salmonella serotypes isolated between 1994 and 1996 show a decrease in S. typhimurium which, before 1995, was the most frequent cause of salmonellosis. The arrival in August 1994, of Salmonella enteritidis brought an increasing isolation rate of this serotype; e.g., 22.5 percent in 1994, 56.5 percent in 1995 and 70.9 percent to June 1996. The monthly distribution of frequently isolated serotypes shows that S. typhimurium was associated with outbreaks of salmonellosis in June and November 1994 but has since been on the decline (10 cases in November 1994 to no more than 2 per month). Meanwhile, outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with S. enteritidis were recorded in January 1995 (12 cases), July 1995 (8 cases), December 1995/January 1996 (25 cases) and April 1996 (25 cases). The most severely affected age group was the 0-4-year-old; e.g. 54.6 percent of cases 1994; 47.3 percent in 1995 and 52.9 percent to June 1996. This age group also reflected the highest age specific rates of 44.6, 47.7 and 44.9 per 100 000 population in 1994, 5.4 in 1995 and 7.2 to June 1996, per 100 000 population. Continued and heighten surveillance must prevail in order to determine the source of the S. enteritidis. Eggs have been implicated but hard evidence is thus far lacking.(AU)

The decreasing incidence rate of diarrhoeal disease occurrence in Trinidad and Tobago: 1992 - 1996

Data on diarrhoeal disease were collected from the community, hospitals and private physicians from August 1991 to September 1996. The diarrhoea disease rates in <5 - and > 5- year-olds are shown below: [a table accompanied the original abstract]. The spectrum of organisms isolated from diarrhoeal specimens was mainly enteropathogenic E. coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Campylobacter spp. with a few Cryptosporidia seen. The arrival in August 1994 of Samonella enteritidis brought an increasing isolation rate of this serotype. S. typhimurium was associated with outbreaks of salmonellosis in June and November 1994 but has since been on the decline but outbreaks associated with S. enteritidis were recorded in January 1995 (12 cases), and April 1996 (25 cases). The most severely affectd age group was the 0-4 year-old and the 60+ years showed an increasing susceptibility trend. Continued and heightened surveillance must prevail in order to determine the source of the S. enteritidis. Eggs have been implicated but the hard evidence is thus far lacking. (AU)