Salmonella-a new threat to neonates.

Hospital admitted 582 neonates with suspected septicaemia were studied in Microbiology Department of Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Samples being taken from neonatal unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and a Neonatal Private Hospital in one year (January to December 2004). Blood culture was done by Lytic-centrifugation method. The isolated organisms were identified using standard laboratory procedures. Among 582 sick neonates 59(10.14%) were culture positive and the predominant organisms were Gram Negative Bacteria (89.83%). Among the isolates Klebsiella spp. was the prime organism (33.90%). Salmonella was observed as the 2nd most common cause (22.03%) for sepsis of neonates. Of these isolated Salmonella strains 46.15% were Salmonella typhi and 53.85% were Salmonella spp. Next to Imipenem, Ciprofloxacin was observed as the drug of choice for treatment of Sepsis neonatorum.