Isolation and characterization of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium from chicken meat in Egypt.

INTRODUCTION: Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium represent the major serovars associated with human salmonellosis. Contamination of meat products with these serovars is considered the main source of infection.

METHODOLOGY: In this study, 100 raw chicken meat samples were investigated for the presence of Salmonella spp., which were subsequently identified based on biochemical and serological tests as well as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) profile. Furthermore, the isolated serovars were examined using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of virulence genes suspected to have a role in infection.

RESULTS: S. Enteritidis was isolated from two samples (2%), while S. Typhimurium was isolated from three samples (3%) of chicken meat. Of the 17 examined virulence genes using multiplex PCR, the sitC, sopB, sifA, lpfC, spaN, sipB, invA, spiA, and msgA genes were detected in S. Enteritidis. However, the sitC, iroN, sopB, sifA, lpfC, spaN, sipB, invA, and tolC genes were successfully amplified in S. Typhimurium.

CONCLUSIONS: The detection of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium in meat, even at low incidence, has important implications. In addition, the data presented here is the first attempt to identify a wide range of virulence genes in Egyptian Salmonella isolates recovered from meat products. A strict public health and food safety regime is urgently needed in order to decrease the human health hazard risk associated with salmonellosis.