Kit for detecting Salmonella species by assaying outer membrane porin F (ompF)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of detecting the presence of Salmonella in a sample using novel oligonucleotide sequences. Also presented is a kit for putting the method into practice and novel nucleic acid sequences for ompF. The ompF gene was found to be 100% inclusive for Salmonella species and 100% exclusive for non-Salmonella species for the strains tested thus making it an excellent marker for identification of both the species of Salmonella: S. enterica and S. bongori. Two hundred and eighteen isolates belonging to Salmonella enterica (subspecies I-VI) and Salmonella bongori were examined using novel primers designed to detect the ompF gene. The target was present in all the 218 Salmonella isolates including all the subspecies of Salm. enterica and Salm. bongori. The ompF gene was absent in 180 non-Salmonella strains tested