Original Article
Ambient maximum temperature as a
function of Salmonella food poisoning cases in
the Republic of Macedonia
Vladimir Kendrovski1,
Zarko Karadzovski2, Margarita Spasenovska3
Departments of Environmental Health1
and Epidemiology2
Institute for Public Health of
Republic of Macedonia, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
World Health Organization-Country
Office3, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
Citation: Kendrovski V, Karadzovski Z, Spasenovska M. Ambient maximum temperature as a function of Salmonella food poisoning cases in the Republic of Macedonia. North Am J Med Sci 2011; 3: 264-267.
doi:
10.4297/najms.2011.3264
Abstract
Background: Higher
temperatures have been associated with higher salmonellosis notifications
worldwide.
Aims:
The objective of this paper
is to assess the seasonal pattern of Salmonella cases among humans.
Material and Methods:
The relationship between
ambient maximum temperature and reports of confirmed cases of Salmonella in the
Republic of Macedonia and Skopje during the summer months (i.e. June, July,
August and September) beginning in 1998 through
2008 was investigated. The monthly number of reported Salmonella cases
and ambient maximum temperatures for Skopje were related to the national number
of cases and temperatures recorded during the same timeframe using regression
statistical analyses. The Poisson regression model was adapted for the analysis
of the data.
Results:
While a decreasing tendency was
registered at the national level, the analysis for Skopje showed an increasing
tendency for registration of new salmonella cases.
Reported incidents of salmonellosis,
were positively associated (P<0.05) with temperature during the summer months.
By
increasing of
the maximum monthly mean temperature of 1°C
in Skopje, the salmonellosis incidence increased by 5.2% per month.
Conclusions: The
incidence of Salmonella cases in the Macedonian population varies seasonally:
the highest values of the Seasonal Index for Salmonella cases were registered in
the summer months, i.e. June, July, August and September.
Keywords:
Salmonellosis, ambient maximum
temperature, Seasonal Index, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
Correspondence to:
Assist. Prof. Vladimir
Kendrovski, M.D., Ph.D. Institute for Public Health of R. Macedonia, Head of
Department for Environmental Health,
50 Divizija
St., No.6,
1000 Skopje,
R.
Macedonia, Europe.
Tel.: +
389 2 3125044,
Fax: +389
2 3223343, Email:
v.kendrovski@iph.mk