Journal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

en Prevalence of Salmonella enterica Subspecies enterica Serovar Typhi (Salmonella typhi) Infection in Febrile Patients at the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital in Franceville: A Two-Year Retrospective Study in South East Gabon Infectious diseases and public health Infectious diseases and public health Original article Original article Introduction: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi (Salmonella typhi) causes typhoid fever. This disease is a global public health problem, particularly in developing countries like Gabon. Unfortunately, to our knowledge, little information exists in the epidemiological literature on the prevalence of Salmonella enterica infection in patients presenting with febrile illness in Gabon, particularly at the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital in Franceville, in the southeast of the country. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using the "Widal and Felix" serodiagnostic test results of febrile patients archived in the Medical Analysis Laboratory Records of the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital in Franceville from June 2019 to May 2021. Results: The prevalence of Salmonella typhi in febrile patients was 58.88% [95% CI: 0.5 - 0.6]. The participants' age ranged from 15 to 49 years (mean 24.79 years). We observed that with 1724 cases and a percentage of 62.15% (P < 0.001), women were more infected than men, and the most affected age group was 14 to 49 years, with 1379 cases (49.71%).  During the study period, the seasonal distribution of Salmonella typhi infection indicated that quarter 6, corresponding to the small rainy season, with 16.58%, i.e., 460 cases,  had the highest cases. Conclusion: These results highlight the need to strengthen food safety hygiene in community markets and environmental sanitation to break the Salmonella typhi transmission in Franceville, Southeast Gabon. Salmonella typhi, Febrile patient, Franceville Gabon 20 27 http://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-410-4&slc_lang=en&sid=1 thiéry Ndong Mba thithimba0@gmail.com 0000-0002-3722-1603 Yes Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LABMC), Masuku University of Science and Technology (USTM), Franceville, Gabon; Laboratory of Research in Biochemistry (LAREBIO), University of Sciences and Techniques of Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon Hilaire Moundounga Kenguele hkenguele@gmail.com 0000-0001-5068-5501 No Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LABMC), Masuku University of Science and Technology (USTM), Franceville, Gabon Ulrick Nzamba ulriknzamb@gmail.com 0000-0001-5378-9445 No Medical Analysis Laboratory of the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital, Franceville, Gabon Arnaud Brice Pambo-Pambo pamboarnaud@hotmail.fr 0000-0003-2845-1391 No Laboratory of Animal Physiology (LAPHYA), University of Science and Technology of Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon Romial Zang Mintsa nzambajromiald@gmail.com 0000-0002-1368-0151 No Medical Analysis Laboratory of the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital, Franceville, Gabon Patrick Mickala pmickala@gmail.com 0000-0002-5376-0906 No Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LABMC), Masuku University of Science and Technology (USTM), Franceville, Gabon; Laboratory of Animal Physiology (LAPHYA), University of Science and Technology of Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon