Infections Due to Salmonella

Salmonella, which is acquired via ingestion, is classified as nontyphoidal or typhoidal disease. Typhoidal disease is caused by S typhi or S paratyphi, and nontyphoidal disease is caused by all other serovars. Salmonella causes a range of infectious syndromes that include gastroenteritis, bacteremia, endovascular infections, and enteric fever. For immunocompromised hosts or patients with extraintestinal disease, antibiotic therapy should be provided. Effective agents often include third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, although rates of resistance of Salmonella isolates to many antibiotics are increasing. A carrier state exists whereby patients may shed bacteria despite being asymptomatic. To eradicate the carrier state, longer courses of antibiotics and, in rare instances, surgical removal of the reservoir, which is most commonly the gallbladder, may be required.  This review contains 2 figures, 4 tables, and 24 references. Key Words: Salmonella, typhoidal, non-typhoidal, enteric fever, endovascular infection, gastroenteritis, carrier, food-borne, antibiotic resistance