title: Babies and bearded dragons: sudden increase in reptile-associated Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee infections, Germany 2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2008 a marked increase in Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee infections in infants occurred in Germany. In March and April 2008, eight cases were notified compared to a median of 0-1 cases in 2001-2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out an investigation including a case-control study to identify the source of infection. A patient was a child < 3 years of age with Salmonella Tennessee isolated from stool from September 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008, identified through the national surveillance system. A control was a child with a notified rotavirus infection in the matching district, frequency matched by age group. We conducted telephone interviews on feeding, herbal infusions, and animal contact. Matched odds ratios (mOR) were calculated using exact conditional logistic regression. For Salmonella Tennessee isolates, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis were performed. Further cloacal swab samples of reptiles kept in case households were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 18 cases < 3 years. Ten children were male; median age was 3 months (1-32 months). In 8 of 16 case households reptiles were kept. Direct contact between child and reptile was denied. Other forms of reptile contact were reported in four of the remaining eight households. Ten case- and 21 control-patients were included in the study. Only keeping of a reptile and "any reptile contact" were associated with Salmonella Tennessee infection (mOR 29.0; 95% CI 3.1 ± ∞ and mOR 119.5; 95% CI 11.7 - ∞). Identical Salmonella Tennessee strains of child and reptile kept in the same household could be shown in 2 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reptiles were the apparent source of Salmonella Tennessee infection in these infants. Indirect contact between infants and reptiles seems to be sufficient to cause infection and should therefore be avoided.
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany. weissb@rki.de
authors: Bettina
authors: B
authors: Weiss
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Rabsch
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Prager
authors: Erhard
authors: E
authors: Tietze
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Koch
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Mutschmann
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Roggentin
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Frank