It is well established that person-to-person transmission of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) occurs. It is a relatively uncommon but definite transmission route for NTS. This person-to-person transmission of NTS has been demonstrated within child daycare facilities as well as within families. Many people infected carry Salmonella in their intestines for weeks to months (and occasionally up to a year or more), even well after their symptoms have resolved. Approximately 45% of children younger than 5 years shed NTS bacteria for 12 weeks after their infection, compared with 5% of older children and adults. Antimicrobial therapy can prolong shedding.” Infected people represent a risk for transmission of NTS to other people through person-to-person transmission for as long as they are shedding NTS bacteria in their stool.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. Salmonella Infections. In: Kimberlin DW, Banerjee R, Barnett ED, Lynfield R, Sawyer, MH eds. Red Book: 2024 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. American Academy of Pediatrics: 2024. pp. 742-750.
American Public Health Association. Salmonellosis. In Heymann, DL, ed. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. 21st edition. APHA Press. 2022. pp 561-568.
Ethelberg S, Olsen KE, Gerner-Smitdt P et al. Household outbreaks among culture-confirmed cases of bacterial gastrointestinal disease. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2004;159:406–412.
Tande D, Boisrame-Gastrin S, Munck MR, Hery-Arnaud G, Gouriou S, Jallot N, Nordmann P, Naas T. Intrafamilial transmission of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing
Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica Babelsberg among the families of internationally adopted children. Journal of Antimicrobials and Chemotherapy. 2010;65(5):859–865.
Thomson RM, Henderson HJ, Smith-Palmer A. An outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in a Scottish childcare facility: the influence of parental under-reporting. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2019;19:847.
Vanhoof R, Gillis P, Stevart O, Boland C, Vandenberg O, Fux F, Collard J.-M., Bertrand S. Transmission of multiple resistant Salmonella Concord from internationally adopted children to their adoptive families and social environment. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 2012;31:491-497.
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