Pathogens (Oct 2012)

From Exit to Entry: Long-term Survival and Transmission of Salmonella

  • Landon L. Waldner,
  • Keith D. MacKenzie,
  • Wolfgang Köster,
  • Aaron P. White

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens1020128
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 2
pp. 128 – 155

Abstract

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Salmonella spp. are a leading cause of human infectious disease worldwide and pose a serious health concern. While we have an improving understanding of pathogenesis and the host-pathogen interactions underlying the infection process, comparatively little is known about the survival of pathogenic Salmonella outside their hosts. This review focuses on three areas: (1) in vitro evidence that Salmonella spp. can survive for long periods of time under harsh conditions; (2) observations and conclusions about Salmonella persistence obtained from human outbreaks; and (3) new information revealed by genomic- and population-based studies of Salmonella and related enteric pathogens. We highlight the mechanisms of Salmonella persistence and transmission as an essential part of their lifecycle and a prerequisite for their evolutionary success as human pathogens.

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