Laboratory Confirmed Salmonella Typhi Cases Among Patients Attending Busia County Hospitals Between The Year 2015-2022

Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through stool (faeces). Humans become infected most frequently through contaminated water or food. (Pontier-Bres et al., 2012) Salmonella infections are diarrheal infections caused by the bacteria salmonella. Symptoms of a salmonella infection may include diarrhoea, fever, abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection chills, headache, nausea, or vomiting.(Pontier-Bres et al., 2012) The definitive diagnosis of enteric fever relies on the isolation of Salmonella enterica from normally sterile clinical samples, usually blood and Stool. Salmonella Antigen Test detects bacterial Antigen whereas Culture identifies Salmonella bacterial growth as well as provides isolates for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, epidemiologic typing, and molecular characterization.(A.Gordon, 2015). To determine the distribution and the burden of Laboratory Confirmed Salmonella cases in Busia County. This was achieved by obtaining Laboratory surveillance data for Salmonella typhi cases from Laboratory registers in all the 7 Sub-County hospital Laboratories between the year 2015-2022. Busia County has 7 Sub-County hospitals. A retrospective review Laboratory registers was conducted to identify cases of Salmonella typhi in the seven Sub-County hospitals. Only Identified positive cases (Tested either by Salmonella Antigen Test (SAT) or Culture) were recorded in an Excel sheet to depict the cases by Date/year, Patient Identity, Age, Sex, Sub-County and Laboratory diagnosis (culture or Salmonella Antigen Test) in all the Sub-Counties. Data was analyzed using EPI.info version 7.2.5.0 to show the burden of the diseases by Time, Person and Place.

Author(s): Oscar Gaunya

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