Epidemiological characteristics of a salmonella outbreak among infants in Qatar, 2017.

This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology behind the increased incidence of infant salmonella cases in Qatar during 2017 and identify the possible risk factors. This was a cross-sectional study using the notification reports of laboratory-confirmed infant salmonella cases received by the Ministry of Public Health during the year 2017. Furthermore, complementary phone interviews with the infants' mothers using a validated questionnaire were conducted. The infant salmonella attack rate was calculated at approximately 3.23 cases per 1000 infants. Among the 89 confirmed infant salmonella cases, there were more girls (53%) than boys (47%) with a median age of 8 months. The most common type of salmonella species isolated was group B (50.5%). Among the 59 infant cases whose mothers were interviewed, the majority (94.9%) were symptomatic and diarrhea was the main reported symptom (90%), particularly bloody diarrhoea (62%). Regarding their dietary consumption, the majority (69.5%) of the infected infants were formula-fed. Moreover, the majority reported having no pets at home (91.6%) and were not enrolled in a day care center (93.3%). This study revealed a high incidence of salmonella infection among infants in the State of Qatar, which poses a public health concern. Therefore, targeted interventions and health awareness programs are required for outbreak prevention, detection and control.