Salmonella is a bacterium that causes one of the most common enteric (intestinal) infections in the United States – salmonellosis. The term Salmonella refers to a group or family of bacteria that variously cause illness in humans. Salmonella serotype typhimurium and Salmonella serotype enteritidis are the most common in the United States.
In 2009, over 40,000 cases of Salmonella (13.6 cases per 100,000 persons) were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by public health laboratories across the nation, representing a decrease of approximately 15% from the previous year, but a 4.2% increase since 1996.
[1] Overall, the incidence of Salmonella in the United States has not significantly changed since 1996. Only a small proportion of all Salmonella infections are diagnosed and reported to health departments. It is estimated that for every reported case, there are approximately 38.
6 undiagnosed infections. The CDC estimates that 1.4 million cases, 15,000 hospitalizations, and 400 deaths are caused by Salmonella infections in the U.
S. every year. Salmonella can be grouped into more than 2,400 serotypes.
The two most common serotypes in the U.S. are S.
Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis. S.
Typhi, the serotype that causes typhoid fever, is uncommon in the U.S. But globally, typhoid fever continues to be a significant problem, with an estimated 12-33 million cases occurring annually.
Moreover, outbreaks in developing countries have a high deathrate, especially.
