Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium Associated with Pet Rodents

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 356; no. 1; pp. 21 - 28
• Main Authors: Swanson, Stephen J, Snider, Cynthia, Braden, Christopher R, Boxrud, David, Wünschmann, Arno, Rudroff, Jo Ann, Lockett, Jana, Smith, Kirk E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 04.01.2007
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animal care; Animals; Animals, Domestic - microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Clinical medicine; Cricetinae - microbiology; Disease Outbreaks; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Environmental testing; Female; Fever; General aspects; Health education; Humans; Illnesses; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Mice - microbiology; Monitoring systems; Patients; Pet stores; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - microbiology; Public health; Rats - microbiology; Reptiles & amphibians; Rodent Diseases - microbiology; Rodent Diseases - transmission; Rodents; Salmonella; Salmonella enterica; Salmonella Infections - epidemiology; Salmonella Infections - microbiology; Salmonella Infections - transmission; Salmonella Infections, Animal - microbiology; Salmonella Infections, Animal - transmission; Salmonella typhimurium - genetics; Salmonella typhimurium - isolation & purification; Serotyping; United States - epidemiology; United States; USA, Minnesota; Radionuclide study; Treatment resistance; Typing; Rodentia; Salmonella typhimurium; Medicine; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Association; 2004; Pet animal; Multiple resistance; Domestic animal; Bacteria; Serotype; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa060465

An estimated 1.4 million salmonella infections occur annually in the United States, typically acquired from tainted food. This report describes a 10-state outbreak of infection with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium associated with commercially distributed pet rodents that was identified by the molecular fingerprint of this resistant strain. This report describes a 10-state outbreak of infection with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium associated with commercially distributed pet rodents. Each year, an estimated 1.4 million persons in the United States acquire salmonellosis, leading to approximately 14,800 hospitalizations and 400 deaths. 1 Salmonella is found in the intestinal tract of animals, and the majority of human infections occur after ingestion of contaminated foods. 2 However, many infections are acquired by contact with animals. Salmonellosis outbreaks have been associated with handling reptiles and amphibians, chicks, ducklings, kittens, and hedgehogs. 3 – 8 We report an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium infections associated with commercially distributed pet rodents. 9 Methods Recognition of Hamster Salmonellosis On August 30, 2004, a veterinarian for a Minnesota pet distributor . . .