SALMONELLA-POONA INFECTION AND SURVEILLANCE IN A NEONATAL NURSERY

Background: This article reports the first known outbreak of Salmonell a poona infection in a neonatal unit. Three babies had stool cultures positive for the organism. At the same time, S. poona was the cause of a nationwide food-borne outbreak associated with contaminated cantelo upe. To minimize the neonatal outbreak, surveys were performed and con trol measures were instituted. Methods: Epidemiologic surveillance inc luded the culture of rectal swabs collected from 48 employees, 18 babi es, and four family members of the babies. Control measures used inclu ded the placement in cohorts and isolation of infected babies, strict adherence to universal precautions, and the restriction of visitation in the nursery. Results: A total of three babies and one employee in t he surveillance were found to have Salmonella sp. An additional two ho spitalized adult patients had S. poona. Of all the people included in the surveillance, only the three babies were found to have S. poona. T he hospital employee had S. enteritidis. Conclusions: Timely culture r esults, rapid cohort placement of infected babies, and strict adherenc e to universal precautions led to the successful eradication of the or ganism.