Properties of Salmo-nella Isolates in the Czech Republic

Overview

Based on a grant project „Use and importance of epidemiological markers in Salmonella enteritidisand Salmonella typhimurium in the spread of salmonelloses in children under two years of age“implemented in 1995 to 1997, the authors investigated epidemiological markers in 1 186 salmonellaisolates; the strains were isolated from faeces of 838 sick children, from 266 faeces of their contacts,from 49 specimens of incriminated foods and from 33 smears from the children’s environment.Of 1 186 Salmonella isolates 999 were strains of S. enteritidis, 39 strains of S. typhimurium and 148strains were not identified. The markers of Salmonella isolates were investigated from the aspectof biotyping – 98% S. enteritidis were formed by the biovar Jena. 2% by biovar Essen; sensitivity toantibiotics – 94.5% Salmonella strains were sensitive to 12 selected antibiotics, 2.9% were resistantand in 2.6% the resistance was in the intermediate zone; phagotyping – in 808 strains of S. enteritidisPT 8 – 88% predominated, in S. typhimurium DT 104 and DT 141; assessment of plasmid profiles – instrains of S. enteritidis plasmid 55 kb predominated, in three strains of S. typhimurium a plasmidsize 95 kb; virulence – was compared in 43 strains isolated from hospitalized children with a severeclinical course with 39 strains from children treated at home. In vitro tests revealed that hospitali-zation of affected children was associated with virulence of the strains (SE phagotype 8) and notwith age.The presented results are discussed with regard to the epidemiological situation in the CzechRepublic and in the world.

Key words:
Salmonella enteritidis – markers – Salmonella typhimurium DT 104.