Salmonella
In 2015, HPS received reports of 802 isolates of non-typhoidal Salmonella from people in Scotland – an increase of around 12% on the 717 reported in 2014. This compares to 813 and 728 reports in 2013 and 2012 respectively.
There were 315 reports of Salmonella Enteritidis in 2015 compared to 240 in 2014. The most commonly reported phage types of S. Enteritidis were PT8 and PT1, with 102 and 51 reports respectively. Phage type 8 remained the most commonly reported phage type in recent years, and reports of this type increased in 2015 with 102 reports compared to 46 in 2014, 30 in 2013 and 78 in 2012. It is believed that 39% of PT8 cases to have acquired their infection abroad. However, travel is likely to be under-reported.
Reports of PT4 increased from 11 reports in 2014 to 21 in 2015 but were still less than the 24 reported in 2013.
Reports of Salmonella Typhimurium decreased by 8% – with 133 reports compared to 144 reports in 2014. Reports of Definitive Type 104 increased (ten reports compared to five in 2014). DT193 remains the most commonly reported type – again the numbers remaining relatively stable (50 reports compared to 45 in 2014 and 47 in 2013).
The rate of Salmonella infection in Scotland was 15.0 per 100,000 population – an increase on the rate observed in 2014 (13.5 per 100,000 population) (Map 1). Only three NHS boards observed a decrease in the rate of infection (Orkney, Shetland and Forth Valley). An increase in the rate of infection (though in most cases a small one) was observed in the other boards. The rates in the Island NHS boards should be viewed with caution due to the effect of their small population size.
In 2015 there were six general outbreaks of Salmonella reported to ObSurv (the surveillance system for all general outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease in Scotland).This compares with three in 2014. Fifty cases were believed to be associated with outbreaks in 2015.
Campylobacter
During 2015, 6260 laboratory reports of Campylobacter were received by HPS, this was a decrease of 376 (5.7%) compared to 2014 when 6636 isolates were reported (Figure 2). Following the increase in 2009, the number of reports of Campylobacter has remained relatively stable between 6164 and 6636 isolates a year, an average of 6396 per year over the past seven years.
In Scotland the overall rate of Campylobacter infection in 2015 was 117.1 per 100,000 compared to 124.6 per 100,000 in 2014 (Map 2). Among the mainland NHS boards rates in 2015 ranged from 70.2 per 100,000 to 147.7 per 100,000. The decline in Campylobacter was observed in all apart from two of the mainland NHS boards compared to the previous year. The rates and changes in rates in the Island NHS boards should be viewed with caution due to the effect of their small population size.
The incidence of reported Campylobacter infection is not uniform across the population. Rates are higher in children under five compared with older children and young adults and then increase with the highest rates among those 50 years and older (Figure 3). Overall rates are higher among males: 126.3 per 100,000 compared to 108.3 per 100,000 for females. This higher rate among males was observed in all except one age band (30-34 yrs), the greatest difference of 39.3 per 100,000 being observed in the 50-54 age group where the rate in males was 165.5 per 100,000 compared to 126.3 per 100,000 among females. The exact reasons for the higher rates among males remain unknown.
Most cases of Campylobacter infection are apparently sporadic with few identified outbreaks. In 2015, there were no general outbreaks of Campylobacter reported to ObSurv, compared to one small general outbreak in 2014. Since ObSurv was established in 1996 there have been a total of 35 general outbreaks of Campylobacter reported.
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