Abstract:
BACKGROUND AND AIMS : Nosocomial infections caused by Salmonella spp. are common in veterinary facilities. The early
identification of high-risk patients and sources of infection is important for mitigating the spread of infections to animal
patients and humans. This study investigated the occurrence of Salmonella spp. among patients at a veterinary academic
hospital in South Africa. In addition, this study describes the environmental factors that contribute to the spread of Salmonella
spp. in the veterinary facility.
MATERIALS AND METHODS : This study used a dataset of Salmonella-positive animals and environmental samples submitted
to the bacteriology laboratory between 2012 and 2019. The occurrence of Salmonella isolates at the veterinary hospital was
described based on source, month, season, year, and location. Proportions and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for
each variable.
RESULTS : A total of 715 Salmonella isolates were recorded, of which 67.6% (483/715) came from animals and the remainder
(32.4%, 232/715) came from environmental samples. The highest proportion (29.2%) of Salmonella isolates was recorded
in 2016 and most isolates were reported in November (17.4%). The winter season had the lowest (14.6%) proportion of
isolates reported compared to spring (31.3%), summer (27.8%), and autumn (26.4%). Salmonella Typhimurium (20.0%)
was the most frequently reported serotype among the samples tested, followed by Salmonella Anatum (11.2%). Among the
positive animal cases, most (86.3%) came from equine clinics. Most reported isolates differed based on animal species with
S. Typhimurium being common in equines and S. Anatum in bovines.
CONCLUSION : In this study, S. Typhimurium emerged as the predominant strain in animal and environmental samples. Equines
were the most affected animals; however, Salmonella serotypes were also detected in the production animals. Environmental
contamination was also a major source of Salmonella species in this study. To reduce the risk of transmission, strict infection
prevention and control measures (biosecurity) must be implemented.
