Is it time to move on to gene-based Salmonella typing: Evidence and implications

Abstract

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is the major cause of foodborne infections globally, with considerable morbidity and mortality. The accurate identification of Salmonella serovars is important in disease management and public health surveillance. However, traditional serotyping methods are laborious, time-consuming and may produce ambiguous results. In this study, we evaluated traditional serotyping and seven gene-based multilocus sequence typing (MLST) methods to determine the serogroups of Salmonella strains. This study analysis suggests that MLST based serotyping is accurate in serogroup identification and discrimination of Salmonella serovars compared to the traditional serotyping method and can be implemented in routine clinical practice.

Keywords: MLST; Non-typhoidal salmonella; Traditional serotyping.