Worldwide Epidemiology ofSalmonellaSerovars in Animal-Based Foods: a Meta-analysis

Abstract

Salmonella spp. are among the most important foodborne pathogens and the third leading cause of human death among diarrheal diseases worldwide. Animals are the primary source of this pathogen, and animal-based foods are the main transmission route to humans. Thus, understanding the global epidemiology of Salmonella serovars is key to controlling and monitoring this bacterium. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and diversity of Salmonella enterica serovars in animalbased foods (beef, pork, poultry, and seafood) throughout the five continents (Africa, the Americas [North and Latin America], Asia, Europe, and Oceania). The meta-analysis consisted of a chemometric assessment (hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis) to identify the main epidemiological findings, including the prevalence and diversity of the Salmonella serovars in each matrix. Regarding the serovar distribution, S. Typhimurium presented a cosmopolitan distribution, reported in all four assessed matrices and continents; poultry continues to play a central role in the dissemination of the Enteritidis serovar to humans, and Anatum and Weltevreden were the most frequently found in beef and seafood, respectively. Additionally, we recommended careful monitoring of certain serovars, such as Derby, Agona, Infantis, and Kentucky. Finally, given the scientific data regarding the most frequently reported serovars and which matrices constitute the main vehicles for the transmission of this pathogen, control programs may be improved, and specific interventions may be implemented in an attempt to reduce the risk of this pathogen reaching humans. IMPORTANCE Salmonellosis is caused by Salmonella spp. and is the third leading cause of death among food-transmitted diseases. This pathogen is commonly disseminated in domestic and wild animals, and the infection's symptoms are characterized by acute fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The animals are the primary source of salmonellae, and animal-based foods are the main transmission route to humans. Therefore, data collected from these sources could contribute to future global interventions for effective control and surveillance of Salmonella along the food chain. In light of this, the importance of our research is in identifying the prevalence of Salmonella serovars in four animal-based food matrices (pork, poultry, beef, and seafood) and to evaluate the importance that each matrix has as the primary source of this pathogen to humans.

Performance and Accuracy of Four Open-Source Tools for In Silico Serotyping of Salmonella spp. Based on Whole-Genome Short-Read Sequencing Data

“…Another possible explanation for divergent results is that sample sets used in different studies may have a geographical bias, since the prevalence of certain serovars varies by geographical region. For example, serovars common to North America (e.g., S. enterica serovars Montevideo and Kentucky) were underrepresented in the current study, while serovars common to Europe (e.g., S. enterica serovars Dublin and Senftenberg) were overrepresented (19).…”

Modeling Salmonella Typhimurium Inactivation in Dry-Fermented Sausages: Previous Habituation in the Food Matrix Undermines UV-C Decontamination Efficacy

“…Ready-to-eat meat products may pose a safety risk for consumers, due to contamination by foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella, during either the pre or post-processing stages (Mutz et al, , 2020. Salmonella enterica is a foodborne pathogen able to contaminate a wide range of foods from both vegetal and animal origins, raising public health authority concerns worldwide (Ferrari et al, 2019). Salmonellosis is the second most reported cause of gastrointestinal infection in humans, accounting for 29% of total foodborne outbreaks in United States and 30.7% in the European Union (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019; European Food Safety Authority [EFSA] and European Centre for Disease Prevention, and Control [ECDC], 2019).…”

“…Salmonellosis is the second most reported cause of gastrointestinal infection in humans, accounting for 29% of total foodborne outbreaks in United States and 30.7% in the European Union (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019; European Food Safety Authority [EFSA] and European Centre for Disease Prevention, and Control [ECDC], 2019). Salmonella Typhimurium is the most frequent serovar concerning animalbased food contamination (Ferrari et al, 2019) and the second serovar involved in outbreaks (Gossner et al, 2012;Scavia et al, 2013;Andreoli et al, 2017).…”

Characterization of Salmonella Isolates from Wastewater Treatment Plant Influents to Estimate Unreported Cases and Infection Sources of Salmonellosis

“…Salmonella enterica is one of the most important enteropathogenic bacteria, causing approximately 94 million infections and 155,000 deaths annually worldwide [1]. There are more than 1500 serovars in the subspecies enterica, and 99% of them are responsible for human and animal infections [2,3]. In Japan, Salmonella is the third leading cause of bacterial food poisoning for a number of patients, as per the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare [4].…”

“…In Japan, Salmonella is the third leading cause of bacterial food poisoning for a number of patients, as per the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare [4]. As the main reservoir is domestic and wild animals, foods of animal origin, such as beef, pork, poultry, and eggs, are primary sources of foodborne illnesses [3,[5][6][7][8]. Among these foods, the prevalence of Salmonella in poultry meat in Japan is the highest [7,8].…”