Genus Salmonella
Lignieres, 1900
Taxonomy
Morphology
Growth conditions
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Proteobacteria => Gammaproteobacteria => Enterobacteriales => Enterobacteriaceae => Salmonella =>

Two systems of nomenclature are in use for the genus Salmonella: S.enterica (new) / S. choleraesius (old):
Salmonella bongori (synonyms Salmonella enterica subsp. bongori, and Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. bongori).
Salmonella choleraesuis -  type species of the genus (heterotypic synonym: Salmonella enterica)
Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. arizonae         (synonyms: Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae & Salmonella arizonae)
Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. diarizonae         (synonym: Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae)
Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. choeraesuis         (synonym: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica)
Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. houtenae         (synonym: Salmonella enterica subsp. houtenae)
Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. indica                 (synonym: Salmonella enterica subsp. indica)
Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. salamae         (synonym: Salmonella enterica subsp. salamae)
Salmonella subterranea (proposed species), Shelobolina et al. 2005

Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhimurium, and Salmonella typhi are heterotypic synonyms of S. enterica
subsp. enterica. The epithets enteritidis, paratyphi, typhimurium and typhi should be used only in the names of serovars.

In subspecies of Salmonella choleraesuis (S. enterica)  serovars are recognized based on the somatic & flagellar antigens.
Some serovar names denoted disease and/or animal host specificity (e.g. typhi, abortus-ovis, abortus-equi) or geographical area where the first strain of the
serovar was isolated (e.g. london, paris).
In order to simplify the serovar nomenclature, a shortened name is in use: Salmonella  & serovar name (eg. Salmonella Abortusovis),  (complete names
would be Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. cholearaesuis serovar Abortusovis orSalmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Abortusovis).
Gram negative rods, 2-5 / 0.7-1.5 μm, non-capsulated, non-sporulated. Colonies are
1-3 mm diameter, S-type, but sometimes R-type colonies may appear.
Motile (exception Salmonella gallinarum-pullorum).
Facultatively anaerobic, growth temperature 37 °C.
Nutrient Agar or Nutrient Broth
Trypticase Soy Agar ± 5% sheep blood
Mac Conkey Agar – white/colourless colonies
SS Agar - colourless colonies
Rambach Agar – red colonies
XLD Agar (Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate agar ) - red colonies, some with black center
Mueller-Hinton Agar
Widely distributed in nature. Isolated from water, foods (raw meats, poultry, eggs, milk
and dairy products, fish, shrimp, frog legs, yeast, coconut etc.),soil, plants, feces,
animal  organs & caracases (which may be contaminated during slaughtering and
processing).
Also have been isolated from the outside of egg shells.
Salmonella can infect humans, farm animals, reptiles and others. Is mostly a foodborne pathogen.
Salmonella strains may produce a thermolabile enterotoxin that bears a limited relatedness to cholera toxin and a cytotoxin that
inhibits protein synthesis. Both of these toxins are presumed to play a role in the diarrheal symptoms.
Salmonellosis may present one of several syndromes including gastroenteritis, enteric (typhoid) fever, abortus or septicemia.
Salmonella septicemia has been associated with subsequent infection of virtually every organ (spline, liver, kidney, lungs, brain,
lymphnodes).
  1. Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 9th ed., 1994;
  2. Euzeby J.P.: Revised Salmonella nomenclature: designation of Salmonella enterica (ex Kauffmann and Edwards 1952) Le
    Minor and Popoff 1987 sp. nov., nom. rev. as the neotype species of the genus Salmonella Lignieres 1900 (Approved Lists
    1980), rejection of the name Salmonella choleraesuis (Smith 1894) Weldin 1927 (Approved Lists 1980), and conservation of
    the name Salmonella typhi (Schroeter 1886) Warren and Scott 1930 (Approved Lists 1980). Request for an opinion. Int. J. Syst.
    Bacteriol., 1999, 49, 927-930.
  3. Brenner F.W., Villar R.G., Angulo F.J., Tauxe R. & Swaminathan B.: Salmonella nomenclature (Guest Commentary). J. Clin.
    Microbiol., 2000, 38, 2465-2467.
  4. Popoff M.Y. & Le Minor L.: Taxonomy of the genus Salmonella. Changes in serovars nomenclature. In: M.Y. POPOFF and L. LE
    MINOR: Antigenic formulas of the Salmonella serovars, 7th revision. WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research
    on Salmonella. Institut Pasteur, Paris, France, 1997, p. 5.
  5. Ezaki T., Kawamura Y. & Yabuuchi E.: Recognition of nomenclatural standing of Salmonella typhi (Approved Lists 1980),
    Salmonella enteritidis (Approved Lists 1980) and Salmonella typhimurium (Approved Lists 1980), and conservation of specific
    epithets enteritidis and typhimurium. Request for an Opinion. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 2000, 50, 945-947.
Lactose negative, indole negative, can use citrate as sole carbon source.
See table at the end.

 

Pigment

Catalase

Oxidase

Lactose

ONPG

Arginine dihydrolase

Lysine decarboxylase

Ornithine decarboxylase

Salmonella bongori

-

+

-

-

+

+

+

+

Salmonella choleraesuis arizonae

-

+

-

[-]

+

=

+

+

Salmonella choleraesuis choleraesuis

-

+

-

-

-

=

+

+

Salmonella choleraesuis diarizonae

-

+

-

[+]

+

=

+

+

Salmonella choleraesuis houtenae

-

+

-

-

-

=

+

+

Salmonella choleraesuis indica

-

+

-

[-]

=

=

+

+

Salmonella choleraesuis salamae

-

+

-

-

[-]

+

+

+

 

Indole production

Citrate utilization

Hydrogen sulfide

Urea hydrolysis

Voges-Proskauer

Phenilalanine

Motility

Gelatinase

Growth on KCN media

Malonate

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

-

+

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

-

-

+

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

-

-

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

-

-

+

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

-

+

-

-

[+]

+

-

-

-

+

-

-

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

-

-

+

 

Glucose

Gas from glucose

D-Mannitol

Inositol

D-Sorbitol

L-Rhamnose

Sucrose (Sacharose)

Melibiose

L-Arabinose

Nitrate reduction

+

[+]

+

-

+

+

-

[+]

+

+

+

+

+

-

+

+

-

+

+

+

+

+

+

=

+

+

-

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

+

+

-

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

+

+

-

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

-

+

-

[+]

+

+

+

+

+

-

+

+

-

-

+

+

 

Cellobiose

Dulcitol

Glycerol

Maltose

D-Mannose

Alfa-Methyl-D-Glucoside

Raffinose

Salicin

Trehalose

D-Xylose

-

+

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

-

+

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

=

-

-

+

+

-

-

=

+

+

-

=

=

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

-

+

[-]

+

+

-

-

-

+

+

 

Mucate

Tartrate (Jordans)

Esculin hydrolysis

Acetate utilization

Deoxyribonuclease

Lipase

Mehyl red

D-Adonitol

+

-

-

+

-

-

+

-

+

-

-

+

-

-

+

-

+

+

-

+

-

-

+

-

=

[-]

-

[+]

-

-

+

-

-

=

-

=

-

-

+

-

+

+

-

[+]

-

-

+

-

+

=

[-]

+

-

-

+

-
For S. arizonae see Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. arizonae.
For S. enteritidis, S. paratyphi, S. typhimurium & S. typhi  see Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. choleraesuis.
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