Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (antigenic formula 1,9,12:g,m:- ) is a polyphyletic serovar of the O:9 (D1) serogroup. S. Enteritidis is the most common serovar in the United States and Europe. This serovar is associated with table eggs and chickens. Serovar Enteritidis has caused numerous outbreaks associated with the consumption of contaminated eggs. S. Enteritidis can successfully contaminate eggs because it is adapted to the reproductive organ of laying hens. This serovar is further classified according to the susceptibility to typing phages (phage typing (PT)), the most common PTs are PT8 and PT4. Molecular subtyping with Pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) shows that approx. 40% of the isolates fall in the same PFGE type. Invasive strains of S. Enteritidis emerged in sub-Sahara regions of Africa and have caused systemic salmonellosis in travelers returning from Africa.
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