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. 2023 Sep;20(3):227-230.
doi: 10.1007/s10393-023-01666-3. Epub 2023 Dec 17.

Salmonella enterica Infection of Synanthropic Non-native Geckos in Southern Florida

Thomas W Fieldsend  1   2 , Alessandro Catenazzi  3 , Kenneth L Krysko  4 , Alexander Shepack  5 , Timothy M Collins  3
Affiliations

Salmonella enterica Infection of Synanthropic Non-native Geckos in Southern Florida

Thomas W Fieldsend et al. Ecohealth. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Wild geckos are a significant source of human salmonellosis. We swabbed the cloacas of 37 non-native synanthropic geckos (Gekko gecko, n = 16; Phelsuma grandis, n = 21) from southern Florida, USA, and assayed swab DNA extracts using quantitative polymerase chain reaction of the invA gene. Salmonella enterica was detected in both species with a pooled prevalence of 13.5% (5/37; 95% CI 5.3-27.1%), indicating the potential for zoonotic transmission. Implications for human health in the region are discussed.

Keywords: Bacteria; Geckos; Gekko gecko; Non-native species; Phelsuma grandis; Reptiles; Salmonella enterica; Salmonellosis.

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