Spatial-temporal and phylogenetic analyses of epidemiologic data to help understand the modes of transmission of endemic typhoid fever in Samoa.

ABSTRACT: Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) is either widely distributed or proximally transmitted via fecally-contaminated food or water to cause typhoid fever. In Samoa, where endemic typhoid fever has persisted over decades despite water quality and sanitation improvements, the local patterns of S. Typhi circulation remain unclear. From April 2018-June 2020, epidemiologic data and GPS coordinates were collected during household investigations of 260 acute cases of typhoid fever, and 27 asymptomatic shedders of S. Typhi were detected among household contacts. Spatial and temporal distributions of cases were examined using Average Nearest Neighbor and space-time hotspot analyses. In rural regions, infections occurred in sporadic, focal clusters contrasting with persistent, less clustered

SUBMITTER: Sikorski MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9612817 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature