DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SALMONELLA IS OLATED IN THE POINTE-A-PITRE ABYMES-UNIVERSITY-HOSPITAL, BETWEEN 1992 AND 1995

This descriptive epidemiological study is based on 308 cases (139 wome n and 169 men) and 317 Salmonella strains isolated during 39 months. A n average of 95 Salmonella were isolated each year in the microbiology laboratory of the Guadeloupe University Hospital (total population: 4 07,000). The patients in this study were mostly young; 29.2 % were und er 1 year, 27.3 % between 2 and 10, and 70 to 75 % were under 30 years of age. The sex ratio was 1.22. No significant difference in the numb er of the isolates was noticed, even though an increase of Salmonella strains is described during the months of June, July and September. Th e most frequently isolated Salmonella serotypes were: S. enteritidis ( 40.1 %), S. panama (15.5 %), and S. typhimurium (9.8 %). S. panama cau sed an unexpected infectious problem in the archipelago. In the same w ay, S. cerro and S. Kisangani were more frequently isolated in this st udy than in any other. Stool examination was the most common for Salmo nella diagnosis, furthermore bacteremia rate (19.6 %) and positive cer ebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture (5/317) were among the most important e ver reported.