Molecular characterization of Salmonella Paratyphi B dT+ and Salmonella Heidelberg from poultry and retail chicken meat in Colombia by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Authors: DONADO-GODOY, PILAR - Corpoica; BYRNE, BARBARA - University Of California; Hume, Michael; LEON, MARIBEL - Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario; PEREZ-GUTIERREZ, ENRIQUE - Pan American Health Organization; VIVES FLORES, MARTHA - Universidad De Los Andes; CLAVIJO, VIVIANA - Corpoica; HOLGUIN, ANGELA - Universidad De Los Andes; ROMERO-ZUNIGA, JUAN - Universidad De Costa Rica; CASTELLANOS, RICARDO - Universidad De Los Andes; TAFUR, MCALLISTER - Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario; SMITH, WOUTRINA - University Of California

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/2/2014
Publication Date: 4/1/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61287
Citation: Donado-Godoy, P., Byrne, B., Hume, M.E., Leon, M., Perez-Gutierrez, E., Vives Flores, M., Clavijo, V., Holguin, A., Romero-Zuniga, J., Castellanos, R., Tafur, M., Smith, W. 2015. Molecular characterization of Salmonella Paratyphi B dT+ and Salmonella Heidelberg from poultry and retail chicken meat in Colombia by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Journal of Food Protection. 78:802-807.

Interpretive Summary: Salmonella Paratyphi (also termed Salmonella Java) and Salmonella Heidelberg are human pathogens frequently isolated from poultry. As a step towards implementing the Colombian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistant Surveillance (COIPARS), Salmonella Paratyphi and Salmonella Heidelberg were isolated from poultry and retail chicken meat and their molecular patterns were characterized using the genetic typing technique pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The objective of this study was to determine the genetic relationship among isolates and to determine potential geographically-predominant genetic types. Based on PFGE analysis, both Salmonella Paratyphi and Salmonella Heidelberg exhibited high genetic type variability. Of the 82 Salmonella Paratyphi isolated, there were 42 genetic types, while the 21 isolates of Salmonella Heidelberg revealed 10 genetic types. Similar genetic types of both Salmonella Paratyphi and Salmonella Heidelberg were found to be present on farms and in retail outlets. For Salmonella Paratyphi, closely related genetic type patterns were found among isolates coming from different farms and different poultry companies within two Colombian states, Santander and Cundinamarca, and also from farms located in the two geographically distant states. For Salmonella Heidelberg, there were fewer farms with related genetic type isolates than for Salmonella Paratyphi. A possible dissemination of similar genetic types of both Salmonella Paratyphi and Salmonella Heidelberg along the poultry food chain is hypothesized and some facilitating factors existing in Colombia are reviewed. This information is of extreme importance as Colombia advances international trade agreements, especially with the United States. These results are of interest to researchers and producers seeking to track and control Salmonella contamination of poultry and poultry meat products.

Technical Abstract: Salmonella Paratyphi B dT+ variant (also termed Salmonella Java) and Salmonella Heidelberg are human pathogens frequently isolated from poultry. As a step towards implementing the Colombian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistant Surveillance (COIPARS), this study characterized molecular patterns of S. Paratyphi B dT+ and Salmonella Heidelberg isolated from poultry and retail chicken meat using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The objective of this study was to determine the genetic relationship among isolates and to determine potential geographically-predominant genotypes. Based on PFGE analysis, both serovars exhibited high heterogeneity: the chromosomal DNA fingerprints of 82 S. Paratyphi B dT+ isolates revealed 42 PFGE patterns, while the 21 isolates of S. Heidelberg revealed 10 patterns. Similar genotypes of both serovars were demonstrated to be present on farms and in retail outlets. For S. Paratyphi B dT+, closely genetically related strains were found among isolates coming from different farms and different integrated poultry companies within two departments (States; Santander and Cundinamarca), and also from farms located in the two geographically distant departments. For S. Heidelberg, there were fewer farms with genetically related isolates than for S. Paratyphi B dT+. A possible dissemination of similar genotypes of both serovars along the poultry chain is hypothesized and some facilitating factors existing in Colombia are reviewed.