title: Typhoid and paratyphoid fever in south-eastern Sydney, 1992-1997.
abstract: Notification records of typhoid and paratyphoid cases among residents of south-eastern Sydney during 1992-1997 were reviewed, with particular attention paid to identifying a source of infection and to completeness of follow up. Notifications comprised 30 cases of Salmonella Typhi, nine of S. Paratyphi A and five of S. Paratyphi B. These 44 cases had a median age of 20 years (range 2-62). Of the 39 cases with known country of birth, 30 were born overseas, predominantly in Asian countries. Of 39 cases with a known travel history, 33 were cases of overseas-acquired acute infection and two cases were asymptomatic chronic carriers. A source was identified in only one of four domestically acquired infections. Of eight household contacts in occupations posing a public health risk (seven food-handlers and one health-care worker), complete follow-up information was available for only five. Most cases were in overseas-born individuals who may have been infected when returning to their country of birth. Explicit follow-up protocols need to cover appropriate clinical management (including treatment of chronic carriage) and monitoring of those cases and contacts who could pose a public health risk.
authors.affiliation: South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit, Zetland, New South Wales.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kidenya
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ferson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010284:Paratyphoid Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014195:Travel; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*