The prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity of Salmonella spp. in stray dogs in Bursa province, Turkey were determined from a total of 82 faecal samples by bacteriological methods. Of the dogs, nine (11%) were positive for salmonellae-carrying. All Salmonella isolates were serotyped as S. Corvallis, and were sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, neomycin, oxytetracycline and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole, while 66.7% of them were resistant to streptomycin. It was concluded that stray dogs could be an important carrier of salmonellae as well as a source of human salmonellosis in Turkey. Additional studies are needed to clarify the epidemiological relationship between S. Corvallis isolated from dogs and humans with regard to public health. This is the first report on the isolation of S. Corvallis from dogs in the country.

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Salmonella were isolated from black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) in six locations in the Czech Republic from 1984 (Chropyně and Nymburk in 1984-1986 Nové Mlýny, Bartošovice, and Hodonín in 1991-1994; and Nové Mlýny, Bartošovice, and Ostrava in 2005). Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined in 12 antimicrobial drugs using disk diffusion. Although 95% of Salmonella isolates (197 out of 207) were pansusceptible, the prevalences of resistance increased significantly from 1 (2%) out of 59 isolates in 1984-1986 and 3 (3%) out of 100 isolates in 1991-1994 to 6 (13%) out of 48 isolates in 2005. Furthermore, in 2005, two isolates were nalidixic acid-resistant and one isolate was multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium DT 104. These findings suggest that the occurrence of salmonellae in black-headed gulls depends to a large extent on the contamination where the gulls feed and possibly reflects the dissemination of these strains among farm animals and humans. Black-headed gulls may also become infected with resistant Salmonella and thus pose a potential risk of Salmonella contamination of surface water and animal feeds, and consequently dissemination.

In spring 2016, Greece reported an outbreak caused by a previously undescribed Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype (antigenic formula 11:z41:e,n,z15) via the Epidemic Intelligence Information System for Food- and Waterborne Diseases and Zoonoses (EPIS-FWD), with epidemiological evidence for sesame products as presumptive vehicle. Subsequently, Germany, Czech Republic, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom (UK) reported infections with this novel serotype via EPIS-FWD. Concerned countries in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted a common outbreak case definition. An outbreak case was defined as a laboratory-confirmed notification of the novel Salmonella serotype. Between March 2016 and April 2017, 47 outbreak cases were notified (Greece: n = 22; Germany: n = 13; Czech Republic: n = 5; Luxembourg: n = 4; UK: n = 3). Whole genome sequencing revealed the very close genetic relatedness of isolates from all affected countries. Interviews focusing on sesame product consumption, suspicious food item testing and trace-back analysis following Salmonella spp. detection in food products identified a company in Greece where sesame seeds from different countries were processed. Through European collaboration, it was possible to identify and recall sesame spread as one contaminated food item serving as vehicle of infection and trace it back to its origin.

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