Salmonella enterica isolated from pigeon (Columba livia) in Egypt.

Understanding the association between human salmonellosis cases and animal sources is an important epidemiological factor needed to successfully control the spread of the infection within communities. To determine the extent to which pigeons might harbor this pathogen and pose a risk to the human population in Egypt, we screened pigeons in Cairo for the presence of Salmonella relevant to public health and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The isolated serotypes recovered from pigeon fecal samples were the following: Salmonella serotype Typhimurium, Braenderup, and Lomita. All strains were multiresistant. Our success in the isolation of Salmonella ser. Typhimurium, Braenderup, and Lomita has important implications because they are a significant cause of food poisoning and enteric fever in humans.

Blood heat shock proteins evoked by some Salmonella strains infection in ducks.

Bacterial heat-shock response is a global regulatory system required for effective adaptation to changes (stress) in the environment. An in vitro study was conducted to investigate the impact of a sublethal temperature (42°C) on heat shock protein (HSP) expression in 6 Salmonella strains (Salmonella Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Virchow, S. Shubra, S. Haifa and S. Eingedi). The 6 Salmonella strains were isolated from the tissues of ducklings that had died from avian salmonellosis. To determine the induction of HSP in the 6 Salmonella strains, they were exposed to the selected temperature level for 24 h and further kept for 48 h at culturing condition of 42°C. Growth under a sublethal temperature of 42°C increased the expression of several proteins of Salmonella, including a 63 kDa protein in addition to the generation and/or overexpression of 143 proteins which were specific to heat shock, concurrent to this acquired thermotolerance. The 6 Salmonella strains responded to 24 h of thermal stress at an elevated temperature 42°C by synthesizing different heat shock proteins (HSP) with molecular weights ranging between 13.62 and 96.61 kDa. At 48 h, the 6 Salmonella strains synthesized different HSPs with molecular weights ranging between 14.53 and 103.43 kDa. It follows that salmonellae would produce HSPs during the course of the infectious process. Salmonellosis produced several proteins after 24 and 48 h of infection. Seven of these proteins (100, 80, 60, 40, 30, 20 and 10 kDa) were recognized in the serum obtained from the ducklings infected with S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Virchow, S. Shubra, S. Haifa and S. Eingedi after 24 h of infection. After 48 h, the 1-7 kDa HSP became more evident and indicated their de novo generation.