An overview of Salmonella typing

The genus Salmonella is a group of highly adaptive Gram-negative bacilli containing a number of closely related serotypes, many of which are potentially pathogenic for humans and/or animals. Salmonella infections are capable of producing serious infections that are often foodborne and present as gastroenteritis, however, a small percentage of these infections may become invasive and result in bacteremia and serious extraintestinal disease. The epidemiological characteristics of a Salmonella outbreak drive interest in the identification of the serotype and other identifiable characteristics including antimicrobial susceptibility and emergence of multidrug resistance patterns. A variety of methods have been developed to identify serotypes. Public health concerns and the potential for foodborne zoonotic transmission have made Salmonella the subject of numerous international, national, and local surveillance programs.