Salmonellae in the air environment: A review

Abstract

Salmonella bacteria, a zoonotic pathogen, are frequently transmitted through food and water, causing foodborne outbreaks and illnesses. Bioaerosols are a growing concern as pathogenic microorganisms could be transmitted to the indoor and ambient air environments. The airborne transmission of pathogenic microorganisms is considered a risk of contamination or a route of infection. Salmonella have been found in rare numbers in the air, but their detection indicate their ability to survive in the air environment. Physical, biological and environmental stressors affect the survival of airborne microorganisms. The infectivity of airborne Salmonella is determined by its pathogenicity, infective dose and individual health conditions. The accurate assessment of Salmonella in aerosols is a problem due to the synergistic influence of many uncontrollable environmental conditions and a lack of standardized analysis and sampling protocols. Knowledge of the airborne transmission of Salmonella and factors influencing their viability is critical to understanding their potential health risk and the related control measures. This review provides evidence for the transmission of Salmonella in different air environments, focusing on the presence of Salmonella in the air as a risk of biocontamination. The sampling, detection and enumeration methodologies of Salmonella in the air are discussed with recommended mitigation and control strategies.