201086 Salmonella infections in New Mexico, 2004-2007

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 3:20 PM

Sarah L. Lathrop, DVM, PhD , Office of the Medical Investigator/Dept. of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Joseph C. Bareta, MS , Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM
Kathy Angeles, MPH , Institute for Public Health, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Christina Ewers, MPH , Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM
  
Recent outbreaks of Salmonella infections focused attention on this ubiquitous public health threat. Since 2004, New Mexico has been collecting epidemiologic and laboratory information on salmonellosis as part of CDC's Emerging Infections Program. Between 2004 and 2007, 1,074 cases of laboratory-confirmed Salmonella were reported, with 888 known to be sporadic. Annual rates ranged from 9.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2005 (95% CI: 8.04,10.8) to a high of 13.3 (11.7, 14.9) in 2007, comparable to other FoodNet sites but more than twice the target rate for Healthy People 2010. Six serotypes comprised over half the cases: S. Typhimurium, Newport, Javiana, Enteritidis, Montevideo, and Muenchen. An emerging strain, I 4,5,12i-, was seen less frequently in NM than in other FoodNet sites (1.8% versus 5.7%). One-fourth of the cases were in children ages five and under, with 42% of all cases 18 years and younger. The highest percentage of cases was seen among white non-Hispanics (48.2%), followed by white Hispanics (35%) and American Indians (12.2%), with Hispanics being under-represented when compared to the NM population. One-quarter (223) of cases were hospitalized, with a median stay of four days and a range of one day to one year. Twelve (1.4%) of the patients died. Eight percent of the cases had a history of international travel prior to onset of illness, with 57/74 (77%) having traveled to Mexico, which borders New Mexico. Over a third of cases were from NM's rural counties. Prevention measures targeted at children may help reduce salmonellosis in NM.

Learning Objectives:
1) Compare Salmonellosis rates and risk factors for New Mexico with other FoodNet sites in the U.S. 2) Describe Salmonella serotypes commonly found in New Mexico and their geographic distribution in this border state

Keywords: Infectious Diseases, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Principal Investigator for New Mexico's FoodNet portion of the Emerging Infections Program, and have been conducting active surveillance for foodborne illnesses, as well as special studies, for the past three years. In my position as a faculty member at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, I conduct epidemiologic analyses and teach statistics and epidemiology to the medical students and residents. I have been an epidemiologist for the past 10 years and have authored multiple peer-reviewed publicatons.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Infectious Disease Surveillance
See more of: Epidemiology