Multi-locus sequence typing of Salmonella enterica isolates from dog treats and raw meat-based dog food in Japan

Salmonella is an important zoonotic foodborne pathogen which is recognized as a major public health concern worldwide. Salmonella contamination are highly prevalent in dog treats and raw meat-based dog food (RMBDs). And dog treats and raw meat-based dog food are often implicated as main sources of human infection. Many epidemiological studies have focused on the characteristics of Salmonella in many countries. But there are no such reports in Japan. This study was conducted to investigate the genetic characteristics of Salmonella using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST).

Fourteen Salmonella isolates were assigned to 8 sequence types: ST19, ST26, ST32, ST34, ST241, ST469, ST864 and ST1861. The most common types were ST32 and ST34 (21%, n = 3). The second most common types were ST26 and ST469 (14%, n = 2).