Molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Saintpaul isolated from imported seafood, pepper, environmental and clinical samples.

A total of 39 Salmonella enterica serovar Saintpaul strains from imported seafood, pepper and from environmental and clinical samples were analyzed for the presence of virulence genes, antibiotic resistance, plasmid and plasmid replicon types. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) fingerprinting using the XbaI restriction enzyme and plasmid profiling were performed to assess genetic diversity. None of the isolates showed resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline. Seventeen virulence genes were screened for by PCR. All strains were positive for 14 genes (spiA, sifA, invA, spaN, sopE, sipB, iroN, msgA, pagC, orgA, prgH, lpfC, sitC, and tolC) and negative for three genes (spvB, pefA, and cdtB). Twelve strains, including six from clinical samples and six from seafood, carried one or more plasmids. Large plasmids, sized greater than 50 kb were detected in one clinical and three food isolates. One plasmid was able to be typed as IncI1 by PCR-based replicon typing. There were 25 distinct PFGE-XbaI patterns, clustered to two groups. Cluster A, with 68.5% similarity mainly consists of clinical isolates, while Cluster C, with 67.6% similarity, mainly consisted of shrimp isolates from India. Our findings indicated the genetic diversity of S. Saintpaul in clinical samples, imported seafood, and the environment and that this serotype possesses several virulent genes and plasmids which can cause salmonellosis.

Akiyama T ，Khan AA ，Cheng CM ，Stefanova R ... -  《-》

Isolation and molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Javiana from food, environmental and clinical samples.

A total of 50 Salmonella enterica serovar Javiana isolates, isolated from food, environmental and clinical samples, were analyzed for antibiotic resistance, presence of virulence genes, plasmids and plasmid replicon types. To assess the genetic diversity, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) fingerprinting and plasmid profiles were performed. All of the isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, and sulfisoxazole, and four isolates showed intermediate resistance to gentamicin or kanamycin. Eleven isolates, including representatives from each of the source types, were resistant to ampicillin. Four isolates from either clinical or environmental sources were resistant to tetracycline, while an additional 20 isolates showed intermediate resistance to this drug. Fourteen isolates, primarily from food sources, showed intermediate resistance to streptomycin. The S. Javiana isolates were screened by PCR for 17 virulence genes (spvB, spiA, pagC, msgA, invA, sipB, prgH, spaN, orgA, tolC, iroN, sitC, IpfC, sifA, sopB, cdtB, and pefA). All isolates were positive for nine to fourteen of these genes, but none were positive for pefA, spvB and lpfC, which are typically present on the Salmonella virulence plasmid. Seven of the virulence genes including cdtB were found in all 50 isolates, suggesting that S. Javiana from food and environmental sources had virulence similar to clinical isolates. Four clinical isolates and two food isolates carried one or more plasmids of approximately 30, 38, and 58 kb, with the 58 kb plasmids belonging to incompatibility group IncFIIA. Two clinical isolates carried IncI1 type mega plasmid (80 kb), and one clinical isolate carried plasmids of 4.5 and 7 kb. The PFGE profiles resulted 34 patterns in five clusters at a 90% similarity threshold. Our results indicate that S. Javiana isolates have a diverse clonal population among the clinical, food and environmental samples and this serotype possesses several virulent genes and plasmids that can contribute to the development of salmonellosis in human. This study provides data that support the potential transmission of S. Javiana virulence factors from food and environmental sources to cause infections in humans.

Mezal EH ，Stefanova R ，Khan AA 《-》

Isolation and molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis from poultry house and clinical samples during 2010.

A total of 60 Salmonella enterica serovar (ser.) Enteritidis isolates, 28 from poultry houses and 32 from clinical samples, were isolated during 2010. These isolates were subjected to testing and analyzed for antibiotic resistance, virulence genes, plasmids and plasmid replicon types. To assess genetic diversity, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) fingerprinting, using the XbaI restriction enzyme, Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) and plasmid profiles were performed. All isolates from poultry, and 10 out of 32 clinical isolates were sensitive to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, sulfisoxazole, streptomycin, and tetracycline. Twenty-one of thirty-two clinical isolates were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline, and one isolate was resistant to nalidixic acid. PFGE typing of sixty ser. Enteritidis isolates by XbaI resulted in 10-12 bands and grouped into six clusters each with similarity from 95% to 81%. The MLVA analysis of sixty isolates gave 18 allele profiles with the majority of isolates displayed in three groups, and two clinical isolates found to be new in the PulseNet national MLVA database. All isolates were positive for 12 or more of the 17 virulence genes mostly found in S. enterica (spvB, spiA, pagC, msgA, invA, sipB, prgH, spaN, orgA, tolC, iroN, sitC, IpfC, sifA, sopB, and pefA) and negative for one gene (cdtB). All isolates carried a typical 58 kb plasmid, type Inc/FIIA. Three poultry isolates and one clinical isolate carried small plasmids with 3.8, 6, 7.6 and 11.5 kb. Ten of the clinical isolates carried plasmids, with sizes 36 and 38 kb, types IncL/M and IncN, and one isolate carried an 81 kb plasmid, type IncI. Southern hybridization of a plasmid with an Inc/FIIA gene probe hybridized one large 58 kb plasmid in all isolates. Several large and small plasmids from poultry isolates were not typed by our PCR-based method. These results confirmed that PFGE fingerprinting has limited discriminatory power for ser. Enteritidis in both poultry and clinical sources. However, the plasmid and MLVA allele profiles were a useful and important epidemiology tool to discriminate outbreak strains of ser. Enteritidis from poultry and clinical samples.

Mezal EH ，Sabol A ，Khan MA ，Ali N ，Stefanova R ，Khan AA ... -  《-》

Prevalence and characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Weltevreden from imported seafood.

Ponce E ，Khan AA ，Cheng CM ，Summage-West C ，Cerniglia CE ... -  《FOOD MICROBIOLOGY》

Identification and molecular characterization of Salmonella spp. from unpasteurized orange juices and identification of new serotype Salmonella strain S. enterica serovar Tempe.

Khan AA ，Melvin CD ，Dagdag EB 《FOOD MICROBIOLOGY》