title: Splenic abscesses caused by a reptile-associated salmonella infection.
abstract: Salmonella infections are not very uncommon. The source generally has to be looked for in food. The syndrome concerns mostly gastro-enteritis. We present a 17-year-old girl with sepsis caused by splenic abscesses which was successfully treated with splenectomy and antibiotics. After analysis (blood and surgical specimen samples), she appeared to be infected with Salmonella type Telelkebir, a rare variant that is associated with exotic animal species, mainly reptiles. The same variant was cultivated from the faeces of the reptile pets that were held in the patients' home. We describe a case with a not often recognized source and an unusual course of Salmonella infection. Exotic pets can be a source of Salmonella infections with a catastrophic course of the disease even in healthy people.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. tdberendes@hotmail.com
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Berendes
authors.forename: J M G
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Keijman
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: te Velde
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Oostenbroek
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012911:Snakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D013156:Splenectomy; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery