Salmonella responsible for infantile gastroenteritis in Mosul, Iraq.

The aetiological role of salmonella in acute diarrhoeal illness in infants aged between 4 weeks and 7 years admitted to the Mosul Paediatric Hospital (North Iraq) was studied. Patients consisted of 63 males and 48 females. Almost all (18) salmonella positive cultures were isolated from patients under 2 years old who comprised 84 (75.6%) of the total sample. A wide variety of species of salmonella were found with Salm. typhimurium and Salm. worthington predominating. Most of the strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol and tetracycline. This study emphasizes the importance of high rates of Salmonella spp. as potential causes of diarrhoeal disease in infancy and children.