Case-control study of disease determinants for non-typhoidal Salmonella infections among Michigan children.
BACKGROUND
Infections with Salmonella serotypes continue to be a significant global public health problem. In addition to contaminated foods, several other sources contribute to infections with Salmonella serotypes. We have assessed the role of socioeconomic factors, exposure to food, and environmental sources in the etiology of non-typhoidal Salmonella infections in Michigan children.


RESULTS
A case-control study among Michigan children aged </= 10 years was conducted. A total of 123 cases of children with laboratory-confirmed Salmonella infections and 139 control children, who had not experienced symptoms of gastrointestinal illness during the month prior to the interviews, were enrolled. The cases and controls were matched on age-category (<1 year, 2-<6 years and 6-10 years). Data on socioeconomic status, food intake, and environmental exposures, were collected on the queried case and control subjects. After adjusting for race and household-income the final regression multivariable model revealed that Salmonella infections were significantly associated with attendance of a daycare center (adjusted matched odds ratio = 5.00, 95% CI: 1.51 - 16.58), contact with cats (MOR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.14 - 5.88), and contact with reptiles (MOR = 7.90, 95% CI: 1.52 - 41.01), during the 3 days prior to the onset of child's illness.


CONCLUSIONS
Study results suggest that exposure to environmental sources may play an important role in sporadic infections with Salmonella serotypes in children. Additional efforts are needed to educate parents and caretakers about the risk of Salmonella transmission to children from these sources.
Younus
Muhammad
M
Department of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. saeeda@msu.edu.
Wilkins
Melinda J
MJ
Davies
Herbert D
HD
Rahbar
Mohammad H
MH
Funk
Julie
J
Nguyen
Chau
C
Siddiqi
Azfar-E A
AE
Cho
Seongbeom
S
Saeed
Mahdi
M
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