Investigating the Meat Pathway as a Source of Human Nontyphoidal Salmonella Bloodstream Infections and Diarrhea in East Africa
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium are major causes of bloodstream infection and diarrheal disease in East Africa. Sources of human infection, including the role of the meat pathway, are poorly understood. METHODS: We collected cattle, goat, and poultry meat pathway samples from December 2015 through August 2017 in Tanzania and isolated Salmonella using standard methods. Meat pathway isolates were compared with nontyphoidal serovars of Salmonella enterica (NTS) isolated from persons with bloodstream infections and diarrheal disease from 2007 through 2017 from Kenya by core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST). Isolates were characterized for antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, and diversity. RESULTS: We isolated NTS from 164 meat pathway samples. Of 172 human NTS isolates, 90 (52.3%) from stool and 82 (47.7%) from blood, 53 (30.8%) were Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type (ST) 11 and 62 (36.0%) were Salmonella Typhimurium ST313. We identified cgMLST clusters within Salmonella Enteritidis ST11, Salmonella Heidelberg ST15, Salmonella Typhimurium ST19, and Salmonella II 42:r:- ST1208 that included both human and meat pathway isolates. Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 was isolated exclusively from human samples. Human and poultry isolates bore more antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes and were less diverse than isolates from other sources. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the meat pathway may be an important source of human infection with some clades of Salmonella Enteritidis ST11 in East Africa, but not of human infection by Salmonella Typhimurium ST313. Research is needed to systematically examine the contributions of other types of meat, animal products, produce, water, and the environment to nontyphoidal Salmonella disease in East Africa.
Source: Clinical Infectious Diseases
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1153
Authors: John A Crump, Kate M Thomas, Jackie Benschop, Matthew A Knox, David A Wilkinson, Anne C Midwinter, Peninah Munyua, John B Ochieng, Godfrey M Bigogo, Jennifer R Verani, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Gerard Prinsen, Sarah Cleaveland, Esron D Karimuribo, Rudovick R Kazwala, Blandina T Mmbaga, Emanuel S Swai, Nigel P French, Ruth N Zadoks
Institutions: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, University of Otago, Massey University, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde, University of Glasgow, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, The University of Sydney
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,763
Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington State University, University of St Andrews, University of Sussex, University of Glasgow, Department for International Development, New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries
OpenAlex ID: W3048524266