[Salmonellosis in Poland in 2001].

Total number of salmonellosis cases has been gradually falling down since the year 1988. In 2001, 19,881 cases were reported to the sanitary epidemiological stations, incidence rate = 51.5 per 100,000 population (22,799 in the previous year). Over 52% of patients were hospitalized, but percentage of cases with extraintestinal manifestations was higher--over 88%. The seasonal peak was noted in July and August, which was two months later than in 2000. The decreasing trend in confirmation of clinical diagnosis can be observed since 1995 when Salmonella strains were isolated in 91% of patients, but in 2000 only 66% of cases were bacteriologically confirmed. Salmonella Enteritidis was the most frequent type: 88% of cases and 69% of infected healthy persons. Only four other serotypes (Typhimurium, Infantis, Hadar and Virchow) were identified in all of 16 voivodeship of Poland. The age, sex, urban/rural distribution of salmonellosis remain stable. The highest incidence was registered among children one year old (423/100,000). Extraintestinal manifestations of salmonellosis (septicaemia, meningitis, pneumonia, peritonitis, appendicitis and other), were observed in 93 patients with at least one non-fecal specimen culture-positive for non-typhoidal Salmonella. In older patients, other diseases like carcinoma, leukaemia, lupus erythematosus, contributed to Salmonella infection. Twelve of those patients died.