AN EPIDEMIC AMONG INFANTS CAUSED BY <i>SALMONELLA MUENCHEN</i>

Abstract

SUMMARY An account is given of a Salmonella muenchen epidemic among infants which was disseminated through an industrially produced and marketed cereal preparation for infant consumption. The epidemic continued for 6 months and was distributed over the whole country. The total number of cases was 110, of which the 62 primary cases were infants under the age of 2 years who were being bottle fed. The duration of excretion of bacteria was studied for both primary and secondary cases grouped according to age. The bacteriological examinations carried out support the view that a small number of Salm. muenchen cells is sufficient to give rise to illness in infants. With the low degree of infection of the cereal powder it proved difficult with the usual technique of cultivation to show the presence of salmonellae and this technique was therefore modified.