Ampicillin in the Treatment of Salmonella Carriers

CARRIERS of salmonellae are a major source of endemic and epidemic spread ofSalmonellainfections in this country. Although the number ofS typhosacarriers is probably decreasing with the decrease in new cases of typhoid fever, the number of carriers of other types of salmonellae is apparently on the increase. Before the advent of antibiotics, cholecystectomy was the only successful means of eradicating the carrier state.1 This left a wide field open for the antibiotics, and many attempts have been made to eradicate the carrier state with them. Before attempting to judge their effectiveness, one must first define the carrier state. A number of studies have shown that most adult patients with infections caused byS typhosa²and other salmonellae³⁻⁵lose these microorganisms during the first three months after the acute illness. After this period only a few carriers become noncarriers, and after one year the carrier