Abstract
In Venezuela, acute diarrheic syndrome (ADS) is a primary cause of morbi-mortality, often involving the Salmonella genus. Salmonella infections are associated with acute gastroenteritis, one of the most common alimentary intoxications, and caused by the consumption of contaminated water and food, especially meat. Conventional and molecular methods were used to detect Salmonella strains from 330 fecal samples from individuals of different ages and both sexes with ADS. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the molecular characterization of Salmonella, using invA, sefA, and fliC genes for the identification of this genus and the serotypes Enteritidis and Typhimurium, respectively. The highest frequency of individuals with ADS was found in children 0-2 years old (39.4%), and the overall frequency of positive coprocultures was 76.9%. A total of 14 (4.2%) strains were biochemically and immunologically identified as Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, of which 7 were classified as belonging to the Enteritidis serotype, 4 to the Typhimurium serotype, and 3 to other serotypes. The S. enterica strains were distributed more frequently in the age groups 3-4 and 9-10 years old. The molecular characterization method used proved to be highly specific for the typing of S. enterica strains using DNA extracted from both the isolated colonies and selective enrichment broths directly inoculated with fecal samples, thus representing a complementary tool for the detection and identification of ADS-causing bacteria.
Highlights
In Venezuela, acute diarrheic syndrome (ADS) is a primary cause of morbimortality, often involving the Salmonella genus
Due to the high rates of morbidity and mortality in Venezuela produced by acute diarrheic syndrome caused by enteropathogenic bacteria, and the fact that many medical laboratories have been trying to reduce the time needed for the classic bacteriological diagnosis of infections by these bacteria, we aimed to compare the detection of Salmonella strains in fecal samples using bacteriological diagnostic methods and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Similar high prevalences of positive coprocultures in individuals suffering from ADS were reported by the Pan American Health Organization (PHO) in 2002 and in investigations undertaken by Urbina and Pequenese[21], who indicated that diarrheic syndrome is among the principal causes of infant morbidity and mortality in Venezuela, mainly affecting children from families that live in marginal zones with deficient sanitary and nutritional conditions
Summary
In Venezuela, acute diarrheic syndrome (ADS) is a primary cause of morbimortality, often involving the Salmonella genus. Methods: Conventional and molecular methods were used to detect Salmonella strains from 330 fecal samples from individuals of different ages and both sexes with ADS. Conclusions: The molecular characterization method used proved to be highly specific for the typing of S. enterica strains using DNA extracted from both the isolated colonies and selective enrichment broths directly inoculated with fecal samples, representing a complementary tool for the detection and identification of ADS-causing bacteria. In Venezuela, diarrhea is the ninth cause of death in the population as a whole and the second in children under four years old, with the highest rates reported from the States of Delta Amacuro, Amazonas, and Zulia[1]. In 2007, a total of 1,724,790 cases of diarrhea were diagnosed, representing 62.8 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, of which 41.4% were children under five years old. Salmonella enterica is the species that transmits the disease to humans, its principal reservoirs being animals, reptiles, mammals (mainly cats and dogs), and several birds (chickens, seagulls, pigeons, turkeys, ducks, parrots, and coastal species)[7,8]
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