Salmonella enterica Flashcards
characteristics of salmonella enterica
- gram negative, non-sporulating, facultative anaerobic motile rods
- mesophilic, optimum growth temperature between 35C and 37C, but generally have a growth range of 5-54C
- easily killed by pasteurization, sensitive to low pH (4.5-9.5), and do not multiply below A-w 0.94
- can survive under frozen or dried states for a long time
- multiplication in several food types does not effect acceptance qualities
why is it that salmonella contaminating cocoa beans is such a problem?
cannot inactive salmonella using heat, since the heat required to kill Salmonella at the low Aw present in the chocolate (high sucrose) would “burn” the sucrose containing chocolate (giving it a burnt taste)
why does Salmonella contaminating chocolate, make a great opportunity for outbreaks?
in the low a-w of the chocolate, salmonella can survive for years at room temperature
what subspecies of Salmonella cause illness in humans?
Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica
which serovars are most commonly associated with foodborne illness?
Typhimurium and Enteriditis
how can salmonella serotyping be done?
through reactions with antisera, but now it is much more common to serotype based on whole genome sequence
how are serovars generally named?
after their geographic origin
what serotype do many food animals and pets harbor?
serotype Typhimurium
how can salmonella be transmitted through eggs?
serotype enteriditis infecting the ovaries of poultry. in this way, the interior of the egg is infected prior to shell development
besides pets and eggs, what are other food sources of salmonella?
fruits and vegetables
what are the symptoms of salmonella? when do they begin to occur?
- symptoms generally occur 8-72 hours after ingestion. generally resolve within 5 days
- illness is self-limiting, non-bloody diarrhea, and abdominal pain
- uncomplicated cases only require supportive therapy such as fluid and electrolyte replacement
why are antibiotics not a good idea to treat salmonella?
prolongs the carrier state and increase AMR so they generally are not used
why is non-typhoidal salmonella dangerous in immunocompromised people?
can manifest as an invasive disease, characterized by bacteremia and a high mortality rate
what is the overview of salmonella infection?
salmonella exploits phagocytic intestinal cells, such as antigen-sampling M cells and DCs, but also forces its own uptake into non-phagocytic epithelial cells. Salmonella adheres to intestinal cells via fimbriae
once across the epithelium, salmonella can efficiently invade further epithelial cells from the basolateral side
usually remain localized to intestinal tissues - inflammatory response responsible for the symptoms of gastroenteriditis
significance of SPIs
contain virulence factors that salmonella requires during infection
not all strains have the same SPIs
what does salmonella activate after it is ingested?
the acid tolerance response (ATR) to maintain intracellular pH in the acidic stomach
how does salmonella attach to the host’s epithelial cells?
by means of adhesins, such as those encoded within SPI-3 and SPI-4
what does SPI-3 encode?
MisL which binds to the fibronectin on epithelial cells, it also encodes MgtCB which is involved in intramacrophage survival