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Article presents epidemiology of typhoid fever in Mauritius
(Science Letter Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)
An investigator reviews the epidemiology of typhoid fever in Mauritius in a recent issue of the Journal of Travel Medicine.
According to that review, "The epidemiology of typhoid fever in Mauritius was studied to determine whether there was any need for tourists visiting Mauritius to be vaccinated against the disease, and where Mauritians with typhoid fever had been infected. Data on antibiotic susceptibility of Salmonella typhi isolates from Mauritius were also analyzed."
"Since 1997 every time S. typhi is isolated from blood cultures at our laboratory, an epidemiologic inquiry is conducted to determine the likely origin of the infection and the outcome of treatment, and the information collected is recorded," said Mohammad Iqbal Issack at Victoria Hospital. "Data recorded on cases between 1997 and 2004 were reviewed and analyzed."
S. typhi was isolated on 25 occasions during the eight-year period." the author reported. "The infection was likely to have been acquired in Mauritius in only six cases (24%). Another six cases (24%) occurred in expatriate workers from the Indian subcontinent. Of the 13 Mauritians (52%) who probably acquired the infection abroad, 11 had a history of recent travel to India. Thirteen of 14 S. typhi isolates from cases acquired in India were resistant to nalidixic acid."
"Of the six cases acquired in Mauritius, four occurred in children under 12 years and one was caused by a multiply resistant strain," noted Issack. "Twenty-two patients made an uneventful recovery. One death was indirectly caused by typhoid fever, and there was one case each of intestinal perforation and relapse."
Issack concluded, "In Mauritius, typhoid fever is mainly an imported disease, but indigenous cases of the illness occur rarely and sporadically. Travelers to Mauritius need not be vaccinated against typhoid fever as the risk of acquiring the disease in the country is negligible. Mauritians traveling to India must be made aware of the risk of typhoid fever and of preventive measures. Ceftriaxone should be used as the initial first-line treatment of infection acquired in India."
Issack published the study in the Journal of Travel Medicine (Epidemiology of typhoid fever in Mauritius. J Travel Med, 2005;12(5):270-274).
For more information, contact Mohammad Iqbal Issack, Central Health Laboratory, Victoria Hospital, Candos, Mauritius. E-mail: missack@intnet.mu.
Publisher contact information for the Journal of Travel Medicine is: BC Decker Inc., 20 Hughson Street South, PO Box 620, LCD 1, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3K7, Canada.
Keywords: Candos, Mauritius, Typhoid Fever, Typhoid Vaccine, Vaccine Efficacy, Typhoid Epidemiology, Enteric Fever, Food-Borne Illness, Gastroenterology, Salmonella Paratyphi, Salmonella Typhi, Travel Immunizations, Travel Medicine, Travel Vaccination, Anti-Infectives, Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobial Resistance.
This article was prepared by Science Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Science Letter via NewsRx.com.
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