Investigation of Salmonella spp. in Healthy and Diarrheic Cats

Abstract

Salmonellosis can be seen both in human and many species of animals. There are many studies on farm animals and especially in poultry farming in our country, but studies on companion animals, which have been a big part of urban life recently, are more limited. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the presence of Salmonella spp. with bacteriological and molecular methods (PCR) in cats. For this purpose, a total of 300 rectal swabs were collected from many different provinces of Istanbul, including healthy and diarrheic cats. For bacteriological examinations, swab specimens were seeded on selective media following the pre-enrichment step. Suspected colonies were purified and then identified by conventional methods. All swab specimens were also investigated by PCR for presence of Salmonella spp. specific gene regions. As a result of bacteriological investigations, no Salmonella spp. was isolated from any specimen. Positivity was detected in one specimen in PCR result. In conclusion, the isolation rate of Salmonella spp. is low when studies around the world are compared. Considering zoonotic characteristic of the agent, obtained results are very promising.