Antibody measurements were applied to estimate the rate of Salmonella infections in humans. Data obtained from 13 European countries correlated with the Salmonella prevalence in food animals and estimates of travel-associated Salmonella infections but not with the reported national incidence. We developed a model that enabled a back-calculation of the annual salmonellosis seroincidence from measurements of Salmonella antibodies and applied this model to 9677 serum samples collected from populations in 13 European countries. We found a 10-fold difference in the seroincidence, which was lowest in Sweden (0.06 infections per person-year), Finland (0.07), and Denmark (0.08) and highest in Spain (0.61), followed by Poland (0.55). These numbers were not correlated with the reported national incidence of Salmonella infections in humans but were correlated with prevalence data of Salmonella in laying hens ( P < .001), broilers ( P < .001), and slaughter pigs ( P = .03). Seroincidence also correlated with Swedish data on the country-specific risk of travel-associated Salmonella infections ( P = .001). Estimates based on seroepidemiological methods are well suited to measure the force of transmission of Salmonella to human populations, in particular relevant for assessments where data include notifications from areas, states or countries with diverse characteristics of the Salmonella surveillance.
【저자키워드】 Surveillance, incidence, Seroepidemiology, food animals, Nontyphoid Salmonella,