Genetic diversity and virulence genes of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Enteritidis isolated from meats and eggs

Abstract Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Enteritidis ( S . Enteritidis) is one of the leading causes of food-borne gastroenteritis associated with the consumption of contaminated food products of animal origin. Little is known about the genetic diversity and virulence content of S . Enteritidis isolated from poultry meats and eggs in Iran. A total of 34  S . Enteritidis strains were collected from different food sources of animal origin in Tehran from May 2015 to July 2016. All of the S . Enteritidis strains were serotyped, antimicrobial susceptibility tested, and characterized for virulence genes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was also applied for comparison of genetic relatedness. All of the strains harbored invA , hilA , ssrA , sefA , spvC , and sipA genes. A high prevalence of resistance against certain antibiotics such as cefuroxime (79.4%), nalidixic acid (47%), and ciprofloxacin (44.2%) was also observed. Regarding PFGE, S . Enteritidis strains from different sources showed considerable overlap, suggesting the lack of diversity among these isolates. Moreover, no correlation between virulence profiles or antibiotypes and PFGE clusters was observed. In conclusion, our study provided valuable information on virulence gene content, antibiotic resistance, and genetic diversity of S . Enteritidis isolated from food sources.