Characterization of Salmonella isolates from captive lizards.
Reptile-associated salmonellosis in humans is an increasing public health issue. This study aimed at characterizing Salmonella isolates from captive lizards and to compare them to human isolates. Salmonella was isolated from 25 of 33 cloacal and 47 of 79 faecal samples from captive lizards (75.8 and 59.5%, respectively). The strains belonged to 44 serotypes of subspecies I (27 serotypes), II (9), IIIb (3) and IV (5). Two strains, one of serotype Enteritidis and one of serotype Amsterdam, were resistant to nitrofurantoin. Invasion assays in Caco-2 cells were performed with 40 saurian isolates of subspecies I, 15 isolates of subspecies II, 4 strains of subspecies IIIb, 6 subspecies IV isolates and 17 human isolates of corresponding serotypes of subspecies I. Saurian isolates belonging to subspecies I invaded the Caco-2 cells to a higher extent than those from the other subspecies. The human isolates invaded the Caco-2 cells to a lesser degree compared to their saurian counterparts. In the same strains, the presence of virulence genes agfA, shdA, spvR, pefA and sopE was determined using PCR. Whereas agfA was detected in all strains, pefA was only detected in one saurian and in the human serotype Enteritidis strains. The spvR gene was detected in the same serotype Enteritidis strains and in 33% of the subspecies IV strains. The shdA gene was present in all the human isolates and in 86% of subspecies I saurian isolates. SopE was found in 17% of the human isolates, in 24% of the saurian subspecies I strains and in all of the subspecies IV strains.
Pasmans
Frank
F
Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. frank.pasmans@ugent.be
Martel
An
A
Boyen
Filip
F
Vandekerchove
Dominique
D
Wybo
Ingrid
I
Immerseel
Filip Van
FV
Heyndrickx
Marc
M
Collard
Jean Marc
JM
Ducatelle
Richard
R
Haesebrouck
Freddy
F
D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008116:Lizards / Q000382:microbiology*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology*; D012703:Serotyping; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence
C107306:AgfA protein, Salmonella enterica; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C409034:ShdA protein, Salmonella enterica; C103987:SopE protein, Salmonella; D014157:Transcription Factors; C061928:mkaC protein, Salmonella typhimurium; C101015:pefA protein, Salmonella enterica; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins