Pulsed-field profile diversities of Salmonella Enteritidis, S. Infantis, and S. Corvallis in Japan

The diversity of pulsed-field profiles (PFPs) within non-typhoidal Salmonella subtypes influences epidemiological analyses of Salmonella outbreaks. Therefore, determining the PFP diversity of each Salmonella serovar is important when evaluating current circulating strains. This study examined the PFP diversity of three important public health Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovars, S. Enteritidis (n=177), S. Infantis (n=205), and S. Corvallis (n=90), using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Isolates were collected from several sources, primarily from chicken-derived samples, in the Kyushu-Okinawa region of Japan between 1989 and 2005. S. Enteritidis isolates displayed 51 distinct PFPs (E-PFPs), with 92 (52.0%) and 32 (18.1%) isolates displaying types E-PFP1 and E-PFP10, respectively. The 205 S. Infantis isolates showed 54 distinct PFPs (I-PFPs), with 87 (42.4%) and 36 (17.6%) isolates being I-PFP4 and I-PFP2, respectively. I-PFP18 was the dominant I-PFP of layer chicken isolates across a 5-year period. Fourteen distinct S. Corvallis PFPs were detected. Simpson’s index results for the genetic diversities of S. Enteritidis, S. Infantis, and S. Corvallis isolates were 0.70, 0.79, and 0.78, respectively. None of the E-PFPs or I-PFPs of layer chicken isolates overlapped with those of broiler chicken isolates, and the dominant clonal lines existed for >10 years. In conclusion, limited PFP diversities were detected amongst S. Enteritidis, S. Infantis, and S. Corvallis isolates of primarily chicken-derived origins in the Kyushu-Okinawa region of Japan. Therefore, it is important to take into account these limitations in PFP diversities in epidemiological analyses of Salmonella outbreaks.