Serotyping and RAPD profiles of Salmonella enterica isolates from Mauritius.
OBJECTIVE
The genus Salmonella is a common agent of gastroenteritis in Mauritius, generating more cases of the disease during summer than during winter. The aims of this study were to assess the genetic diversity of isolates of Salmonella enterica by RAPD fingerprinting, and to establish the relationship between human and chicken isolates.


METHODS
Twenty-six isolates were obtained from hospital laboratories and commercial poultry producers locally.


RESULTS
The RAPD profiles, biochemical and serological analyses showed that two of the chicken isolates were mistakenly identified as Salmonella. The genetic diversity of the remaining 24 isolates (five chicken and 19 human), confirmed as Salmonella, was analysed using four arbitrary primers, OPA-10, OPR-03, OPI-06 and OPJ-09, chosen from an initial set of 10 decamers. Seventy RAPD markers were generated in four individual DNA profiles.


CONCLUSIONS
Cluster analysis (UPGMA) performed using the NTSYS-pc V 1.8 computer software, confirmed that some strains of Salmonella isolated from chicken were genetically similar to those isolated from humans. Furthermore, a 1 kbp band amplified using primer OPA-10 was specific for the Salmonella genus as it was not amplified in any of the control bacteria.
Khoodoo
M H R
MH
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius. mhrk@altern.org
Issack
M I
MI
Jaufeerally-Fakim
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000032:analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008436:Mauritius / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012703:Serotyping
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial