METHODOLOGY: Retrospective review of a group of 131 children with non-typhoid Salmonella gastroenteritis seen at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from January 1994 to December 1996.
RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent were infants below one year of age. Fever and vomiting were seen in nearly half of children. Seven children (5.3%) had invasive complications: 5 bacteraemia and 2 meningitis. Age below 6 months, fever > 38.0 degrees C, and dehydration on admission were significantly associated with invasive complications. The commonest serotypes isolated were S. enteritidis, S. paratyphi B, and S. bovis-morbificans. A total of 94-100% of isolates were susceptible to commonly prescribed antibiotics.
CONCLUSIONS: Children with Salmonella gastroenteritis below 6 months of age who are febrile and dehydrated should be treated empirically with antibiotics until the result of blood culture is available.
METHODS: A retrospective study identifying all children aged Salmonella infections from 2011 to 2016 was conducted in Bintulu Hospital in Sarawak. Population incidences, clinical and bacterial characteristics were examined.
RESULTS: Forty-four patients were identified during the 6-year study period: 43 had iNTS infection and 1 had typhoid fever. The average annual iNTS incidence was 32.4 per 100,000 children aged Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Java were the commonest NTS serovars identified. Pneumonia was the most common manifestation of iNTS disease, present in 20 (47%) children. Other manifestations included gastroenteritis, fever without a source, septic arthritis and meningitis. Salmonella Enteritidis was identified in 76% of those with pneumonia, significantly more frequently than in children with other manifestations. Over 25% of children with iNTS developed severe disease and nearly 10% suffered long term morbidity or mortality. While 78% of Salmonella Java isolates were multi-drug resistant, nearly all other isolates were susceptible to most antimicrobials, including ampicillin.
CONCLUSIONS: Bintulu Division in Sarawak observed a very high incidence of childhood iNTS infections. Enteric fever was uncommon. The epidemiology of invasive Salmonella infections in Malaysian Borneo differs considerably from that of neighbouring countries in Asia.