Activities in 2009
Salmonellosis
Dr C. Poppe
Public Health Agency of Canada, Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses
110 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario N1G 3W4 Canada
Tel.: (1-519) 822-3300, Fax: (1-519) 822-2280
E-mail: cpoppe@sympatico.ca
Summary of general activities related to the disease
1.
Serotyping and phagetyping of Salmonella cultures for diagnostic, research and surveillance
purposes
The OIÉ Reference Laboratory for Salmonellosis is a national Salmonella surveillance centre, contributing
laboratory support, Salmonella cultures and submissions data to the national enteric pathogen surveillance system
of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance
(http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cipars-picra/index.html), and PulseNet Canada (the Canadian listserve for
PFGE/molecular methods, bacterial outbreak investigations and surveillance). The Laboratory also supports
provincial government Salmonella monitoring programs and research programs of government institutions and
universities in Canada and internationally.
A total of 5,169 Salmonella cultures isolated from animals and their environment, foods, feeds and other sources
in Canada during the year 2009 were identified serologically using the antigenic formulae of Grimont and Weill
(2007). They belonged to 196 serovars. The commonest serovars were S. Kentucky (854 cultures), S. Heidelberg
(800), S. Enteritidis (784) and S. Typhimurium (492 cultures, consisting of 250 S. Typhimurium var. Copenhagen
and 242 S. Typhimurium). Other commonly isolated serovars were S. Schwarzengrund (193), S. Mbandaka (156),
S. Hadar (143), S. Infantis (129) and S. Senftenberg (113). Three hundred and twenty one Salmonella cultures
belonging to 127 serovars were identified for internal and external quality control assurance purposes. Among the
animal source submissions, most Salmonella isolates were from chickens (2,290 cultures), pigs (475), turkeys
(290), cattle (169) and horses (24). The most common food isolates were from chicken (562) and the most
common isolates from environmental sources were from litter and manure (146). Also, 199 isolates from feed and
feed ingredients were serotyped. Salmonella Kentucky, S. Enteritidis and S. Heidelberg were the most frequently
isolated serovars from chicken (588, 525 and 446 cultures, respectively). Salmonella Typhimurium with
S. Typhimurium var. Copenhagen, and S. Derby were the most frequently isolated serovars from pigs (126 and 70
cultures, respectively) and S. Schwarzengrund from turkeys (115 cultures). Salmonella Typhimurium and
S. Typhimurium var. Copenhagen were the most frequent serovars from cattle (25 and 59 cultures, respectively).
The most frequently isolated serovars from chicken as a food source were Salmonella Heidelberg (163),
S. Kentucky (149) and S. Enteritidis (91 cultures). Salmonella were isolated from a wide variety of species such as
chickens, pigs, turkeys, other avian species, cattle, horses, ducks, reptiles, cats, dogs, geese, sheep, mink, rodents
and other animal species, from environmental samples such as litter and manure, from equipment and buildings,
from dust, from water and soil samples, from foods (chicken, pork, beef and turkey), from other food sources such
as fruits, vegetables, fish, herbs and spices, and from feed, feed ingredients and fertilizer.
Phagetyping of 793 S. Heidelberg isolates with the typing scheme of Demczuk et al. (J. Clin. Microbiol. 2003; 41:
4279-4284) showed that phage type (PT) 19 was the commonest PT (286 cultures). A total of 487 S. Typhimurium
isolates, including S. Typhimurium var. Copenhagen were characterized by the phage typing scheme of Anderson
et al. (J. Hyg. 1977; 78: 297-300); phagetype 104 was the commonest PT identified (103 cultures) followed by
PT8 (55 cultures). Typing of 783 S. Enteritidis strains with the scheme of Ward et al. (Epidemiol. Infect. 1987; 99:
291-294) showed that most belonged to PT8 (357 cultures), PT51 (113) and PT13a (94 cultures); none of the
cultures typed as PT4.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009
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Salmonellosis
2.
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Cultures are available from the Salmonella strain collection for research and diagnostic purposes.
Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
The OIÉ Reference Laboratory for Salmonellosis has been accredited by the Standards Council of Canada since
1997 and its diagnostic procedures comply with the requirements of the ISO/IEC Guide 17025. The Laboratory
has been a member of the WHO Global Salmonella Surveillance network (globalsalm-surv@listserv.cdc.gov)
since 2000. The Laboratory is listed on the Global Salm-Surv web page (http://www.who.int/salmsurv/en). The
Laboratory has successfully participated in a yearly External Quality Assurance System (EQAS) for Salmonella
serotyping among Global Salm-Surv member laboratories since 2001.
4.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
Salmonella antisera, Salmonella cultures and other diagnostic supplies were provided to researchers and
diagnosticians in Member Countries. The Reference Laboratory submitted a new serovar to the WHO
Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Salmonella at l’Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. The isolate
was confirmed having the 51:y:1,2 antigenic formula and was named Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Rosslyn.
It had been isolated from a ball python snake from Rosslyn, Alberta, Canada in 2008.
5.
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
The following topics are being studied: The epidemiology, pathogenesis and control of salmonellosis in animals
and humans; antimicrobial resistance and trends in resistance of Salmonella; the putative association between
antimicrobial resistance and virulence in Salmonella; further characterization of Salmonella by serotyping,
phagetyping, PFGE, plasmid profiles, and by PCR to identify antimicrobial resistance, virulence and other genes;
sequencing of DNA and other molecular typing and research techniques; alternative molecular methods to
traditional serotyping.
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
Comprehensive monthly and annual reports were composed and sent to national and international organisations.
7.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Members
The OIÉ Expert on Salmonellosis at our Laboratory reviewed the Report of the Meeting of the OIE AD HOC
Group on Salmonellosis, held in Paris, 4-6 August 2009. The Expert also reviewed and commented on Chapter 6.4
titled “Biosecurity Procedures in Poultry Production” and Chapter 6.5 on “Prevention, detection and control of
Salmonella in poultry” (OIÉ Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission/September 2009 documents).
8.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Members
Nil.
9.
Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Members
The Salmonella Reference Laboratory examined 49 ovine putative Salmonella isolates that originated from the
College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, Ethiopia.
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009
Salmonellosis
10. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
Nil.
11. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
A miniature Salmonella molecular typing array has been developed based on the ClonDiag ArrayStripTM (AS)
system together with researchers at the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg, Canada and the
Veterinary Laboratory Agencies (VLA) of the United Kingdom. The array is currently undergoing final
optimization in preparation for a blind panel assessment which is planned to begin in March of 2010. If the results
from the blind panel are successful then the array will be included in a large scale comparison of traditional
Salmonella serotyping with new molecular typing techniques at the VLA Reference Laboratory. A large scale
validation will then be completed prior to commercialization with Inverness Medical.
12. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

Presentations at international conferences and meetings
1. Weir E, Martin L, Boerlin P. Exposure to antimicrobials and virulence gene expression in Salmonella. 3rd
ASM Conference on Salmonella: Biology, Pathogenesis and Prevention. Aix-en-Provence, France. October 59, 2009, Poster presentation.
2. Franklin K, Lingohr EJ, Bodrossy L, Anjum M, Villegas A, Clark CG, Kropinski AM. Development of a
miniaturized tube array for molecular typing of Salmonella. 3rd ASM Conference on Salmonella: Biology,
Pathogenesis and Prevention. Aix-en-Provence, France, October 5-9, 2009. Poster presentation.
3. Boerlin P. Le role des produits carnés dans la transmission de bactéries résistantes chez l’humain. Colloque
Zoonoses et Santé Publique. Vingt-deuxièmes Entretiens Jacques Cartier, Lyon, France, November 30, 2009.

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
1. Sibhat B, Zewde BM, Zerihun A, Muckle A, Cole L, Boerlin P, Wilkie E, Perets A, Mistry K, Gebreyes WA.
Salmonella serovars and antimicrobial resistance profiles in beef cattle, slaughterhouse personnel and
slaughterhouse environment in Ethiopia. Zoonoses Public Health 2009; Dec 23 [Epub ahead of print].
2. Murphy C, Reid-Smith RJ, Prescott JF, Bonnett BN, Poppe C, Boerlin P, Weese JS, Janecko N, McEwen SA.
Occurrence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in healthy dogs and cats presented to private veterinary
hospitals in southern Ontario: A preliminary study. Can Vet J 2009; 50:1047-1053.
3. Kozak GK, Pearl DL, Parkman J, Reid-Smith RJ, Deckert A, Boerlin P. Distribution of sulfonamide resistance
genes in Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates from swine and chickens at abattoirs in Ontario and Québec,
Canada. Appl Environ Microbiol 2009; 75:5999-6001.
4. Boerlin P, Reid-Smith RJ. Antimicrobial resistance: its emergence and transmission. Anim Health Res Rev
2008; 9:115-126.
5. Farzan A, Friendship RM, Cook A, Pollari F. Occurrence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia
enterocolitica, Escherichia coli O157 and Listeria monocytogenes in swine. Zoonoses Public Health 2009; Jul
23 [Epub ahead of print].
6. Hag Elsafi HE, Nor Elmadiena MM, El Hussein AA, Siddig MA, Muckle CA, Cole L, Wilkie E, Mistry K.
Salmonella Umbadah: a new Salmonella serovar isolated from cattle in Sudan. Trop Anim Health Prod 2009;
41:1605-1606.
7. Clark CG, Kropinski AM, Parolis H, Grant CC, Trout-Yakel KM, Franklin K, Ng LK, Paramonov NA, Parolis
LA, Rahn K, Tabor H. Escherichia coli O123 O antigen genes and polysaccharide structure are conserved in
some Salmonella enterica serogroups. J Med Microbiol 2009; 58:884-894.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009
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Salmonellosis
8. Villegas A, She YM, Kropinski AM, Lingohr EJ, Mazzocco A, Ojha S, Waddell TE, Ackermann HW, Moyles
DM, Ahmed R, Johnson RP. The genome and proteome of a virulent Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteriophage
closely resembling Salmonella phage Felix O1. Virol J 2009; 6:41.

Other communications
None.
13. Inscription of diagnostic kits on the OIE Register
i)
Did you participate in expert panels for the validation of candidate kits for inscription on the
OIE Register?
No.
ii)
Did you submit to the OIE candidate kits for inscription on the OIE Register?
No.
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009