Conventional and molecular approaches to isolates of Salmonella hadar from sporadic and epidemic cases

In September 1994 an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred in 437 people who had consumed lunch in the canteen of a factory in Central Italy. Salmonella sp. was isolated from stools of 99 patients and in 73 of them Salmonella hadar was identified. This is the first outbreak caused by this serotype described in Italy. In order to examine the genotypic basis of the epidemic strains, molecular typing was applied to sporadic strains isolated before and after the outbreak episode. For this purpose phage type, resistance to antibiotics, DNA plasmid profile and sites of insertion of the mobile element of IS200 were determined. The epidemic strains were genetically distinct from the non-epidemic isolates; they were shown to be phage type 26, harbouring four small plasmids, were resistant to nalidixic acid and showed a unique characteristic IS200 fingerprint. The typing methods used in this study allowed the identification and discrimination of the outbreak strains from related isolates. They can thus be considered as a tool for epidemiological purposes. In addition we should point out the emerging resistance to nalidixic acid, largely used in veterinary medicine, in Salm. hadar.