title: Prevalence of Salmonella in wild snakes in Japan.
abstract: A total of 87 wild snakes of 6 species in 2 families collected in Japan were examined for the presence of Salmonella. The prevalence of Salmonella was 58.6%, and that of Salmonella enterica subspecies I, which includes most human pathogenic serotypes, accounted for 12.6%. S. enterica subspecies I was isolated from Japanese grass snakes and Japanese four-striped snakes, and the isolates belonged to 6 serotypes: S. enterica subspecies enterica serotypes Eastbourne, Mikawashima, Narashino, Newport, Saintpaul, and Thompson. The prevalence of S. enterica subspecies IIIb was higher (41.4%) than that of S. enterica subspecies I, and it was isolated from 4 snake species. The prevalence of Salmonella enterica subspecies and isolation of serotypes that are commonly detected in reptiles and human salmonellosis suggest that wild snakes may become a source of Salmonella infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Kanagawa, Japan. kuroki.gcg3@pref.kanagawa.jp
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Alexandre Tomomitsu
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Okatani
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007564:Japan; D015995:Prevalence; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012703:Serotyping; D012911:Snakes / Q000382:microbiology*