Salmonella ecology

Abstract

Control of the cyclic phenomena of salmonellosis will be effective only when all sources ofSalmonella are attacked simultaneously. Salmonella ecology must be studied to clarify the problem. Studies at the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station related to salmonella ecology have been conducted, in part, in the following areas: (1) Convenience foods studied have shown a decreased incidence of salmonella contamination from 1962–65. (2) The examination of fishes recovered from sewage‐polluted streams reveals a high percentage harboring salmonellae in the intestinal tract. Per os inoculation of catfish demonstrated viability of salmonellae in the stomach and intestine for at least 29 days. We believe this indicates a demand for salmonella‐free fish food for commercial fish rearing. (3) Human salmonella carriers can develop following contact with cold‐blooded animal pets. Food workers in critical areas should be carefully examined as potential carriers of salmonellae. We have shown the potential danger of carrier development in our cold‐blooded pet survey.

Landscape and Meteorological Factors Affecting Prevalence of Three Food-Borne Pathogens in Fruit and Vegetable Farms

“…Water has been identified as both a reservoir and a transmission pathway for food-borne pathogen contamination of produce (17,58). Moreover, all three pathogens examined in this study are known to be common contaminants of agricultural watersheds (59)(60)(61)(62).…”

Role of Nonhost Environments in the Lifestyles of Salmonella and Escherichia coli

“…Furthermore, as several reptile species are known Salmonella reservoirs (53,54), reptilian pets have served as a source of Salmonella for infected owners (84). This indicates that Salmonella species lack special host adaptations and are capable of colonizing a wide variety of macroorganisms (32). The ubiquitous nature of Salmonella may facilitate a cyclic lifestyle consisting of passage through a host into the environment and back into a new host (104).…”

Recovery of Salmonella from biofilms in a headwater spring ecosystem

“…In the United States it affects 1.4 million people, causing 16,000 hospitalizations and over 500 deaths annually (Mead et al 1999). The majority of illnesses result from exposure to undercooked animal products or cross-contamination with foods consumed raw (Tatixe 1997;WHO 2002); however, salmonellosis can also result from direct contact with contaminated water (Foltz 1969;Harvey et al 1969) or infected animals (Sanyal et al 1997;Wells et al 2004;Nakadai et al 2005). The intestinal tract of vertebrates is generally assumed to be the native habitat of salmonellae (Woodward et al 1997) from which the feces then contaminate environments such as fresh-or marine waters, estuarine environments, vegetables, compost, or soils and sediments (Thomason et al 1975;Polo et al 1998;Refsum et al 2002;Tavechio et al 2002;Martinez-Urtaza et al 2004).…”