Salmonella infection in HIV infected individuals

Seek expert advice.

Salmonella is the most common bacterial cause of diarrhoea in HIV infected individuals (1).

In these individuals systemic symptoms are more marked, and though 10% have negative stool cultures the organism is often isolated on blood culture.

Following treatment 10-20% suffer a relapse, and for this reason some say treatment with 250mg b.d. ciprofloxacin should be continued for a minimum of three months (1)

Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines for the management of invasive non-typhoidal salmonella disease in HIV-infected adults recommend 2-6 weeks of fluoroquinolone therapy (2)

Reference:

• Gazzard, B., Aids and the gastrointestinal tract. Medicine international February 1993, 21:2 pgs 44-46.
• Kaplan JE, Benson C, Holmes KH, Brooks JT, Pau A, Masur H, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Institutes of Health. HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidelines for prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in HIV-infected adults and adolescents: recommendations from CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2009;58:1-207