Salmonella typhi

Salmonella typhi is a Gram-negative, motile rod-shaped bacterium and belongs to the pathogenic enterobacteria.

Salmonella typhi causes a systemic infection known as typhus. The disease progresses in different stages: 

• Stadium incrementi (first week): Headaches, nausea, fever, constipation

• Stadium fastigii (second to third week): Fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, impaired consciousness, cough, roseole (skin rash)

• Stadium decrementi (fourth to fifth week): gradual regression of symptoms

• Complications: Intestinal bleeding, intestinal perforation, meningitis

Salmonella typhi is most common in developing countries; in industrial nations the pathogen occurs primarily as an imported infection due to travel.

Relevance of pathogen in transmission in endoscopy

• Gastroenterology: Low

• Pulmonology: Not relevant

• Ear, nose, and throat: Not relevant

• Urology: Not relevant

Relevance for endoscope surveillance

• High concern organism

Transmission route

Salmonella typhi is transmitted from human to human via the fecal-oral route as well as via contaminated water and food (fertilized fruit/vegetables, mussels, oysters).

Resistance to antibiotics

Reduced antimicrobial susceptibility is described, including against fluoroquinolones and sulfonamides. Multi-resistance is increasingly occurring in Asia and Africa.