Salmonella typhimurium
Salmonella typhimurium (also: salmonella enterica enterica ser. typhimurium) is a motile, Gram-negative bacterium and belongs to the pathogenic enterobacteria.
Salmonella typhimurium causes inflammation of the intestinal tract (also known as nosocomial infection) with symptoms including the following:
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Fever
Nausea, vomiting
Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)
Endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart)
Sepsis
Salmonella typhimurium is found worldwide in the environment as well as in the digestive tract of various animals. The salmonellosis caused by the bacterium is one of the most important notifiable gastrointestinal diseases in Germany.
Relevance of pathogen in transmission in endoscopy
Gastroenterology: High
Pulmonology: Not relevant
Ear, nose, and throat: Not relevant
Urology: Not relevant
Relevance for endoscope surveillance
High concern organism
Transmission route
Infection occurs via the consumption of contaminated foods of animal origin, particularly eggs, raw milk products, beef, or poultry. Fecal-oral transmission via humans and animals as well as contact infections are also possible.
Resistance to antibiotics
Salmonella typhimurium displays a reduced susceptibility up to multi-resistance against sulfonamides, tetracyclines, cephalosporins, and aminoglycosides, among others.
Gries O, Ly T: Infektologie – Kompendium humanpathogener Infektionskrankheiten und Erreger, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2019.
Beecham HJ 3rd et al. Salmonella typhimurium. Transmission by fiberoptic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. JAMA. 1979 Mar 9;241(10):1013-5.
Hawkey PM et al. Contamination of endoscopes by Salmonella species. J Hosp Infect. 1981 Dec;2(4):373-6.
Salmonellose, RKI-Ratgeber. Robert Koch-Institut. https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Merkblaetter/Ratgeber_Salmonellose.html (accessed on 08.10.2021).