TRANSMISSION OF SALMONELLA WORTHINGTON BY OROPHARYNGEAL SUCTION IN HOSPITAL NEONATAL UNIT

An outbreak of Salmonella worthington infection in a neonatal unit occured in a pediatric ward of Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The index case was a prematurely born male child from whose clinical specimens S. worthington was recovered. After this finding 40 infants kept in that nurseary were included in an investigation. Major symptoms were diarrhea, septricemia and jaundice. Three developed meningitis. Disease morbidity rate was 45% and mortality occured in 16.6% of the total opositive cases. The sources of infection was traced to a contaminated rubber tubing of a suction apparatus which was used for oropharyngeal suction of the babies. S. worthington was recoverd from the clinical specimens of all 18 babies who recived suction. Multiple drug resistancer of these s. worthington strains was found.