[Results of phage typing of Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi-B in the years 1974-1978 from the Federal Republic of Germany including Berlin (West) (author's transl)].

In the period between 1.1.1974 and 31.12.1978 phage typing of 2058 strains of S. typhi and 1672 strains of S. paratyphi-B was carried out. 45 S. typhi phage types were found, 11 of these occurred in a frequency of more than 1% (relevant to foci). These were E1 a (21.6%), A (17.7%), F1 (5.8%), D1 (5.5%), C1 (4.6%), E1b (4.1%), D2 (2.5%), 40 (1.5%), 29 (1.3%), B2 (1.0%), 46 (1.0%). Among S. paratyphi-B strains 23 phage types or varieties were observed, 11 of these occurred in a frequency more than 1% (relevant to foci): Taunton (46.9%), 1 m.c. (7.8%), 3aI m.c. (7.7%), B.A.O.R. (6.5%), 3aI var. 1 (5.5%), Dundee (4.4%), 3a m.c. (3.0%), 3b m.c. (2.2%), Beccles m.c. (1.9%), Jersey (1.5%), 1 var. 1 (1.4%). In the year 1974 two epidemics of typhoid fever occurred, one with 417 cases (phage type A, subtype Tananarive) and the other with 41 cases (phage type E1a). In the year 1977 there was an outbreak of paratyphoid B fever with 53 cases (phage type 3aI var. 1). The increasing number of imported cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever from other countries is remarkable. The age distribution of typhoid and paratyphoid bacilli carriers shows that persons who are older than 60 years represent the age group in which carriers occur most frequently.