Clonal Differences between Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) Recovered from Children and Animals Living in Close Contact in The Gambia

Abstract

Salmonellosis is a neglected tropical disease causing serious dysentery and septicaemia particularly in young infants, elderly and immunocompromised individuals such as HIV patients and associated with substantial mortality in developing countries. Salmonellosis also constitutes a major public health problem as it is considered the most widespread bacterial zoonosis of food origin throughout the world. Many epidemiological data exist from developed countries concerning transmission of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) but few are available from developing countries. In addition few studies in sub-Saharan Africa have considered the interface between humans and their environment in relation to animals present in the household and food hygiene. This study describes the prevalence of NTS among fourteen Gambian children and 210 domestic animals living in close proximity (household) to the children in a rural setting in The Gambia. We found that the domestic animals living in the same household as patients carried different NTS serovar and genotypes; indicating that zoonotic transmission does not occur in our setting. This study provides baseline data for future studies of transmission of NTS in rural Africa