CDC reports rise in resistant Salmonella infections
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The annual incidence of resistant nontyphoidal Salmonella infections was 40% higher in 2015 and 2016 compared with the years 2004 to 2008, according to a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“Salmonella is a major cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Antimicrobial-resistant infections pose a particular threat to public health because they are linked to more severe illness,” Felicita Medalla, MD, MS, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, told Healio.
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“For the study, we estimated changes in the incidence of Salmonella infections resistant to antimicrobial drugs recommended to treat severe infections during 2004-2016,” Medalla explained. “These data will help public health practitioners set targets and priorities for reducing the number of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella infections in the U.S. population.”
Medalla and CDC colleagues used models of culture-confirmed Salmonella infections between 2004 and 2016 from two CDC surveillance systems to estimate changes in the national incidence of resistant nontyphoidal Salmonella infections.
Overall, the researchers estimated that, from 2004-2008 to 2015-2016, there was an estimated 40% increase in the annual incidence of Salmonella infections with clinically important resistance to any of three antimicrobial drugs recommended to treat severe infections. Medalla explained that the increase translates to approximately 63,000 more resistant infections per year.
The study also demonstrated that changes in incidence of resistance varied by serotype, with two serotypes being responsible for two-thirds of the increased incidence of clinically important resistance during 2015-2016. Additionally, ciprofloxacin-nonsusceptible infections accounted for more than half of the increase.
“An increase in the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella infections is a concerning trend. Although most Salmonella infections result in self-limited illness, antimicrobial treatment is recommended for patients with severe infection or at high risk for complications,” Medalla said. “Prevention measures that can reduce the risk of Salmonella infection include proper hand-washing, safe food handling, avoiding contact with animals more likely to carry the bacteria (eg, baby chicks, turtles), and practicing safe food and drinking habits when traveling abroad.”
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