Flea market finds and global exports: Four multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to small turtles, United States-2015.

Zoonotic transmission of Salmonella infections causes an estimated 11% of salmonellosis annually in the United States. This report describes the epidemiologic, traceback and laboratory investigations conducted in the United States as part of four multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to small turtles. Salmonella isolates indistinguishable from the outbreak strains were isolated from a total of 143 ill people in the United States, pet turtles, and pond water samples collected from turtle farm A, as well as ill people from Chile and Luxembourg. Almost half (45%) of infections occurred in children aged <5 years, underscoring the importance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation to keep pet turtles and other reptiles out of homes and childcare settings with young children. Although only 43% of the ill people who reported turtle exposure provided purchase information, most small turtles were purchased from flea markets or street vendors, which made it difficult to locate the vendor, trace the turtles to a farm of origin, provide education and enforce the United States federal ban on the sale and distribution of small turtles. These outbreaks highlight the importance of improving public awareness and education about the risk of Salmonella from small turtles not only in the United States but also worldwide.

Pasteurella caballi, a new species from equine clinical specimens.

The name Pasteurella caballi is proposed for a group of organisms represented by 29 strains isolated from respiratory and other infections in horses. P. caballi strains are gram-negative, oxidase-positive, nonmotile, fermentative rods with the key characteristics of the genus Pasteurella. These strains differed from other Pasteurella species in that all were aerogenic and catalase negative, and some strains produced acid from myo-inositol and L-rhamnose. The levels of DNA relatedness of 28 P. caballi strains with labeled DNA from the proposed type strain averaged 91 and 85% (hydroxyapatite method at 55 and 70 degrees C). P. caballi was 13 to 53% related to strains representing 22 other species of the family Pasteurellaceae. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA of four strains was 41 to 42 mol%. The type strain is 83851 (=ATCC 49197).

An aerogenic Pasteurella-like organism isolated from horses.

Thirteen strains of a gram-negative, fermentative bacterium that produced gas from glucose were isolated from horses with a variety of clinical conditions. The morphological and biochemical characteristics of this bacterium are similar to those described for the family Pasteurellaceae. These strains appear to constitute a new taxon within the genus Pasteurella; however, the final taxonomic position of this group depends upon more detailed genetic studies. Case histories indicate that this bacterium may be a primary respiratory pathogen and may play a secondary role in various other disease conditions.

Actinobacillosis in free-ranging snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) from Alaska.

Actinobacillus capsulatus was isolated from lung, liver, and/or spleen tissue of three snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in Alaska. This is the first report of the isolation of this bacterium from free-ranging hares. Actinobacillus capsulatus may have a negative impact on the population density of hares.

Antibiotic resistance of members of the genus Salmonella isolated from chickens, turkeys, cattle, and swine in the United States during October 1981 through September 1982.

Members of the genus Salmonella isolated from chickens, turkeys, cattle, and swine and submitted to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories for serotyping during October 1981 through September 1982 were tested for sensitivity to 12 antibacterial drugs. A total of 3,500 isolates was tested. A high rate of drug resistance was observed. Three cultures were resistant to each of the drugs and 30% were resistant to each drug except chloramphenicol, cephalothin, and gentamicin. Multiple resistance patterns were observed for 80% of the cultures with an even higher percentage in cultures from swine.

Isolation of Haemophilus species from the genital tract.

Haemophilus influenzae was isolated from the urethra of three of 85 men attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic. These isolates of H. influenzae were nonencapsulated; one was biotype III, and two were biotype IV. Haemophilus parainfluenzae was isolated from the urethra or coronal sulcus of five men; three isolates were biotype II, and two were biotype III. Neither H. influenzae nor H. parainfluenzae was isolated from the genital secretions of 84 women. Haemophilus ducreyi and Haemophilus equigenitalis (contagious equine metritis bacterium) were not isolated from any of the 169 patients.