A Syst-OMICS Approach to Ensuring Food Safety and Reducing the Economic Burden of Salmonellosis.

The Salmonella Syst-OMICS consortium is sequencing 4,500 Salmonella genomes and building an analysis pipeline for the study of Salmonella genome evolution, antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. Metadata, including phenotypic as well as genomic data, for isolates of the collection are provided through the Salmonella Foodborne Syst-OMICS database (SalFoS), at https://salfos.ibis.ulaval.ca/. Here, we present our strategy and the analysis of the first 3,377 genomes. Our data will be used to draw potential links between strains found in fresh produce, humans, animals and the environment. The ultimate goals are to understand how Salmonella evolves over time, improve the accuracy of diagnostic methods, develop control methods in the field, and identify prognostic markers for evidence-based decisions in epidemiology and surveillance.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and multi-drug resistance of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovars in Sudan.

This study was undertaken to determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica recovered from human, food, water, and animal samples collected in Khartoum State, Sudan. A total of 64 Salmonella isolates belonging to 28 different serovars were tested for their susceptibility to 13 antimicrobial agents. The majority of isolates (98.4 %) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent. Isolates were frequently resistant to ampicillin (90.6 %), cephalexin (50.0 %), nalidixic acid (25.0 %), streptomycin (21.9 %), kanamycin (18.8 %), gentamicin (17.2 %), and co-trimoxazole and trimethoprim (12.5 %). The most common pattern of multiple drug resistance included resistance to ampicillin and cephalexin. Most isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol (98.4 %), ciprofloxacin (93.8 %), and norfloxacin (90.6 %). Two chicken- and the two human-origin S. Kentucky isolates were resistant to both ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. All S. Kentucky isolates and the one S. Rissen isolate demonstrated multi-drug resistance. The results indicate the significance of multi-drug-resistant Salmonella serovars isolated from chickens and other animals and foods as sources for multi-drug-resistant Salmonella in humans in Sudan.

Phage typing.

Phage typing is a rapid, economical, reliable, and reproducible technique, requiring no specialized equipment, for fingerprinting disease-causing agents for epidemiological investigation and surveillance.

Efficacy of recombinant sialoglycoprotease in protection of cattle against pneumonic challenge with Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica A1.

Secreted recombinant sialoglycoprotease fusion protein (Gcp-F) of Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica A1 was examined for its ability to protect cattle from experimental challenge with M. haemolytica A1. Five M. haemolytica vaccines were compared including Gcp-F, logarithmic phase culture supernate (Presponse) and Presponse enriched with Gcp-F, recombinant leukotoxin (rLkt) or both. All calves receiving Gcp-F had significant serum antibody responses to this antigen, measured by ELISA, prior to challenge. Those vaccinated with Gcp-F alone had significantly lower percent pneumonic tissue than unvaccinated controls and a trend (P=0.085, one-tailed test) to lower clinical scores. Calves receiving Presponse with Gcp-F and rLkt had lower percent pneumonic tissue than those receiving Presponse alone, and calves receiving Presponse enriched with Gcp-F and/or rLkt had lower mean clinical scores, but the differences were not significant. This trial demonstrates the protective capacity of sialoglycoprotease. While, remarkably, recombinant Gcp-F provided some protection alone the results support its practical potential as a component of a multiple antigen vaccine.