The Epidemiology of Childhood Salmonella Infections in Alberta, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to describe the incidence, demographics, laboratory findings, and suspected sources of childhood Salmonella infections in Alberta, Canada, with a focus on preventable cases.

METHODS: Data from Notifiable Disease Reports for children with nontyphoidal salmonellosis (NTS) or typhoid/paratyphoid fever from 2007 through 2015 were analyzed.

RESULTS: NTS was detected from 2285 children. Bacteremia was documented in 55 cases (2.4%), whereas a single infant had NTS meningitis. The suspected source was food (N = 577; 25.3%) followed by animal or animal manure contact (N = 426; 18.6%), of which a reptile was the suspected source in 264 cases (11.5%). There were 44 outbreaks with none sharing the same food source. Ninety-five children were diagnosed with typhoid/paratyphoid fever, of which 48 cases (51%) were typhoid cases in unimmunized children 2 years or older.

CONCLUSIONS: There are still ∼275 pediatric cases of Salmonella infection in Alberta annually, the bulk of which are preventable.

APPLICATION: Public education about reptile exposure, food safety, and pretravel immunizations could potentially prevent many cases of Salmonella infection.