Epidemiological characteristics of a salmonella outbreak among infants in Qatar, 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology behind the increased incidence of infant salmonella cases in Qatar during 2017 and identify the possible risk factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using the notification reports of laboratory-confirmed infant salmonella cases received by the Ministry of Public Health during the year 2017. Furthermore, complementary phone interviews with the infants' mothers using a validated questionnaire were conducted. Results: The infant salmonella attack rate was calculated at approximately 3.23 cases per 1000 infants. Among the 89 confirmed infant salmonella cases, there were more girls (53%) than boys (47%) with a median age of 8 months. The most common type of salmonella species isolated was group B (50.5%). Among the 59 infant cases whose mothers were interviewed, the majority (94.9%) were symptomatic and diarrhea was the main reported symptom (90%), particularly bloody diarrhoea (62%). Regarding their dietary consumption, the majority (69.5%) of the infected infants were formula-fed. Moreover, the majority reported having no pets at home (91.6%) and were not enrolled in a day care center (93.3%). Conclusion: This study revealed a high incidence of salmonella infection among infants in the State of Qatar, which poses a public health concern. Therefore, targeted interventions and health awareness programs are required for outbreak prevention, detection and control.