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Review of pathogenicity and virulence determinants in Salmonella

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DOI: 10.36380/scil.2019.wvj21

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 EurAsian Journal of BioSciences
Eurasia J Biosci 14, 377-381 (2020)

Review of pathogenicity and virulence determinants in

Salmonella
Hadaf Mahdi Kadhim 1*
1
Department of Biology, College of Education, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diwaniyah, IRAQ
*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract
Salmonella are widely distributed and can be survived in contaminated food and water which are
considered a real health hazard. The genus Salmonella that associated with human infection cause
food-borne and water-borne by consumption of contaminated meat, milk, eggs and water. These
organisms grow on mainly nutrient media, the growth of most Salmonella strains require minimal
media containing sulphate phosphate, ammonium salt for nitrogen, as well as glucose as a source of
energy and Carbone. Salmonella infections are commonly increased in low income countries. The
aim of this review is to review the characteristics of Salmonella, the virulence properties of
Salmonella, pathogenesis and Salmonella infection.

Keywords: Salmonella, enteric fever, virulence factors, pathogenicity

Kadhim HM (2020) Review of pathogenicity and virulence determinants in Salmonella. Eurasia J

Biosci 14: 377-381.

© 2020 Kadhim
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.

INTRODUCTION 1995), DNA probe and plasmid analysis (Rubin el at.

1989).
The Salmonella genus is responsible for many cases
Characteristics of Salmonella
of Enteric fever and food poisoning in humans and
Salmonella are a member of the family
animals which are continue to be a global public health
Enterobacteriaceae. These organisms are generally
concern issue worldwide (Alzwghaibi et al. 2018, Diab et
oxidase negative, aerobic and anaerobic facultative.
al. 2019, Ed-dra et al. 2017, Eguale 2018, Habibi et al.
Most of them produce hydrogen sulphide.They are
2018, Ramatla et al. 2019, Zishiri et al. 2016). The
negative for urease, indol production and phenylalanine
Salmonella that cause human salmonella infections,
deaminase (Bopp et al. 1999).
which are characterised by fever and bacteraemia, mild
Salmonella are Gram negative, non-capsulated, non-
watery diarrhoea, dysentery and bloody diarrhoea, focal
spore forming, possessing peritrichous flagella except S.
infections (cholecystitis, hepatitis, nephritis) and typhoid
gallinarum causing fowl typhoid and S.pullorum that
fever (Majowicz et al. 2010). Moreover, Silva et al.
causes white diarrhoea in chick (Prescott et al. 2008,
(2011) demonstrated that Salmonella and
Xiong et al. 2018). The optimum growth temperature of
Campylobacter have been found in eggs, fowl and dairy
Salmonella is 32-35̊C, but some Salmonella grow at a
productsand caused food borne illness. It has been
temperature between 5 ̊C and 47 ̊C. However,
reported that S. enterica infections correlated with
Salmonella are killed at ordinary cooking temperature of
poultry, pigs and cattle (Dang-Xuan et al. 2019,
70 ̊C (Pui et al. 2011).
Fagbamila et al. 2017).
Serotype analysis is the most common methods that
In 2000, typhoid fever worldwide has been estimated
used for identification and classification of Salmonella
in about 21.7 million cases, out of these 216.000 death
(Old and Threlfall 1998). The genus Salmonella includes
worldwide (Crump et al. 2004). The incidence of this
2000 serotypes of clinical importance which are reported
disease was 13.9-26.9 million cases in 2010 (Buckle et
to be associated with human infection. Depending on the
al. 2010). The vaccine is important especially for
common clinical symptoms, they have been divided in to
persons who travel or live in the countries that typhoid
two groups (Enteric fever and food poisoning) as shown
fever is occurrence (Adda et al 2016).
in Table 1.
For epidemiological studies can be used molecular
typing techniques including pulsed-field gel
electrophoretic and restriction fragment length
polymorphism (RFLP) (Old and Threlfall 1998), Received: April 2019
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Hashimoto et al. Accepted: November 2019
Printed: March 2020

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EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 14: 377-381 (2020) Kadhim

Table 1. Salmonella groups of clinical importance

Enteric fever group Food poisoning group
Species Key features Species Key features
Gastroenteritis,
S. typhi Typhoid S. typhimurium
septicemia
Gastroenteritis,
S. enteritidis,
septicemia
S.heidelberg, Gastroenteritis
S. S.agona, Gastroenteritis
paratyphoid
paratyhpiA,B,C S.indiana, Gastroenteritis
S.newport, Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis,
S.anatum
septicemia
1
Data from panjarathinam (2007)

Antigenic Structures
Flagellar antigenic H
It is a heat labile protein. When it mixed with a
specific antiserum, destroyed by treatment with alcohol
or boiling. It can be stored in formaldehyde at
concentration 0.2-0.4%. The H antigen rapidly induces
antibody formation following immunisation and infection.
H suspensions rapidly agglutinate to produce fluffy and
large clumps. Two forms or phases occur by this antigen
(phase 1 and phase 2) (Panjarathinam 2007). Moreover,
McQuiston et al. (2008) have reported that the phase 1
is specific and is correlated to the immunologic identity
of the serovar. Furthermore, the phase 2 has been found
to be shared by other serovars such as, in the phase 2 Fig. 1. Salmonella passage through the body (Goering el
state serovar S.typhimurium and S.paratyphi B have al. 2008)
similar serotype.
Somatic antigen O is similar to cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat labile
enterotoxin (Clarke et al. 1988). However, Salmonella
It is lipopolysaccharide of the outer membrane. It
have a thermostable cytotoxin that inhibits synthesis of
extracts from cell wall of bacteria by treatment with
trichloroacetic acid. Suspension of O antigen forms protein eukaryotic cell and disrupts host cell monolayers
granular and chalky clumps, when mixed with antisera. (Ashkenazi et al. 1988). It has been expected that
endotoxine has a role in symptoms of typhoid (Hornick
However, antibodies that formed by H antigen is more
1995). Moreover, Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPIs)
than that of O antibody. Based on O antigens,
Salmonella can be classified to number of O serogroups encodes some virulence factors that responsible for
such as S. typhi is member of D serogroup and S. invasion, adhesion and toxin genes (Jajere 2019). In the
USA, 60% of human infections caused by following
paratyphi A, B, C are member of A, B, C1 serogroups
serovars S.enteritidis (26.1), S. typhimurium (22.1),
(Panjarathinam 2007, Sussman 2002).
S.newport (4.4), S. heidelberg (4.8), and S. hadar (2.7).
Surface antigenic V In Asia, human typhoid fever incidence has annually
It has been reported that this antigen is related to the reported about 17-33 million cases, 600 000 deaths
virulence. This virulence is expressed by certain S. (Hoseith 2000, Pang 1998). Recently, humans that used
paratyphi and all S.typhi strains. However, agglutination antibiotics may predispose for infection. These
reactions and serotyping are valuable in the organisms induce intestinal epithelial cells and then
epidemiological studies of Salmonella incidence. ingested within phagocytic vesicles (Jones et al. 1994).
Therefore, each strain can be quickly and easily Fig. 1 shows the passage of Salmonella throw the body.
identified (Rezapour-Nasrabad 2019, Sussman 2002). Many clinical pathways can be caused by Salmonella
Virulence Factors and Pathogenesis including gastroenteritis, bacteraemia, enteric fever and
Various virulence factors in Salmonella play many focal infections.
roles in the pathogenicity (e.g. plasmids, flagella, Gastroenteritis may progress to the initial febrile
adhesion systems, capsule and type 111 secretion disease related to mucosal and systemic invasion, which
systems) (Daigle 2008, Sabbagh et al. 2010). can be caused the onset fever and diarrhoea within 24-
Typhoid fever illness caused by S. typhi and S. 48 hours after exposure. The majority of Salmonella
paratyphi A and B that classified as human-adapted gastroenteritis are self-limited which is including
species. Furthermore, strains of S.typhi and abdominal cramps, watery diarrhoea and vomiting.
S.typhimurium produce a thermolabile enterotoxin which Thus, S.typhimurium is a bacterium that causes

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EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 14: 377-381 (2020) Kadhim

intestinal disease (Fleckenstein and Kopecko 2001). Furthermore, serovars of S. typhimurium, S.

Moreover, Scallan et al. (2011) have suggested that enteritidis, S.choleraesuis S. dublin and S. virchow
non-typhoid Salmonella infections are more incidences cause focal infections that usually follow gastroenteritis,
in young children, immune-compromised and elderly this case is not important. Endocarditis has been
people. considered the most important local infections, usually
However, S. dublin or S. choleraesuis serovars are causing perforation of the infected value leaflet.
commonly cause bacteraemia disease that can result in However, arterial walls infections caused by
a prolonged febrile without diarrhoea and develops to S.choleraesuis and S. typhimurium that have been
septic shock and a fatal outcome. A higher recurrent found in approximately 25% of such cases (Sussman
bacteraemia can be occurred mainly in people that are 2002).
immunocompromised (Levine et al. 1997, Wood et al. Salmonella enteritidis serovar typhimurium is
2008). Non-typhoid Salmonella infections develop commonly cause diarrhoea and it is occasionally cause
bacteraemia and extra intestinal complications including invasive and systemic clinical disease that is not
urinary tract infections, meningitis, endocarditis and distinctive from typhoid fever caused by S. typhi.
pneumonia (Arii et al. 2002).
Enteric fever has been suggested to recognise CONCLUSION
infection of oral route and systemic invasion happens Salmonella contaminate and survive in the
across the gastrointestinal tract (Adzitey et al. 2019, environment and food.
Levine et al. 1983). It can characterised by abdominal However, non-typhoidal salmonellosis incidence has
cramps, headache, diarrhoea and fever (Bhan et al. increased resulting from changes in preparation and
2005). S.typhi and S.paratyphi A and B cause typhoid storage of food. These organisms are more occur
and paratyphoid fever, which are considered highly infections in infants, immunocompromised and elderly
human hoat-adapted. Most cases in the UK are imported people. The incidence of typhoid fever is rare in
from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, also in the USA developed countries. Nevertheless, the high typhoid
most imported from Latin America and Mexico. The incidence occurs in endemic countries and result from
prevention and distribution of typhoid cases can be contamination of food and water with sewage. In
related to population density. However, it can be addition, a poor sanitation and poor personal hygiene
reduced by using modern sanitation facilities for water play a role in spread of infection. Vaccines can be used
purification and sewage treatment (Mermin et al. 1999). to prevent typhoid fever that caused by S. typhi.

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