Colonic involvement in salmonellosis.

Although small intestine is generally regarded as the principal site involved in human salmonella infection of food-poisoning type, the pathophysiology of salmonella diarrhoea remains obscure. A sigmoidoscopic and biopsy study of 23 hospital inpatients with acute salmonella infection revealed presence of active colitis in 21. It is suggested that colonic involvement is common in human salmonellosis and probably plays an important role in the causation of diarrhoea.