[Five cases of non-typhoid salmonellosis in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus in Senegal]

Among the opportunistic infections observed during infection with human immunodeficiency virus, recurrent non-typhoid salmonella bacteriemia has not been widely documented in Black Africa. This retrospective study identified 5 cases of non-typhoid salmonellosis in a series of 27 seropositive patients, i.e. 18.5%, hospitalized over a two-year period in an internal medicine department in Senegal. All 27 patients presented general or digestive manifestations and were in the stage of full-blown AIDS. The diagnosis was salmonella septicemia in 60% of cases. The incidence of salmonella is higher in immunocompromised patients than in healthy subjects, particularly in Africa. These infections frequently lead to bacteriemia, have a strong tendency to recur, and are highly indicative of immunodeficiency. Salmonellosis which is curable should be suspected in seropositive African patients presenting general and/or digestive manifestations.