Leukaemoid reaction in diarrhoeal diseases.

There was an outbreak of diarrhoea/dysentery in Naxalbari, North Bengal in August-September of 1992. Ninety-seven cases were investigated. Bacterial pathogens were isolated from stools of 17 cases and the organisms were Salmonella typhimurium (76%), Salmonella enteritidis (12%) and Shigella dysenteriae type 1(12%). A leukaemoid reaction was observed in 4 cases (24%) amongst all 17 patients and they were all children.