Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Muenchen (antigenic formula 6,8:d:1,2) is a serovar of the O:8 (C2-C3) serogroup. In the U.S., Salmonella Muenchen is a common serovar that is reported among the top ten serovars isolated from humans. Strains of S. Muenchen with multidrug resistant phenotypes have been reported; one of these reports described an strain of S. Muenchen resistant to up to 12 antibiotics (i.e., ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, kanamycin, gentamicin, cephalothin, and ceftriaxone). Outbreaks caused by S. Muenchen have been associated with several foods, including orange juice and alfalfa sprouts.
Animal reservoir: S. Muenchen is typically isolated from poultry, swine and cattle.
Geographical distribution: S. Muenchen have been reported among the most common serovars in multiple locations; including the U.S., Australia, and Europe. In addition, microbiological identifications of S. Muenchen have benn reported in some countries in Africa (South Africa and Ethiopia), Asia (Singapore and Malaysia), and South America (Brazil).
Outbreaks: A number of outbreaks in the U.S., Europe and Australia have been linked to S. Muenchen.
Year |
Location |
Associated source |
Number of cases |
2003 |
US-multistate |
Melon |
58 |
2001 |
Germany |
Pork |
198 |
1999 |
US-Wisconsin |
Alfalfa sprouts |
157 |
1999 |
US-Canada |
Orange juice |
207 |
1997 |
Australia |
Corn beef |
24 |
1980 |
London |
Nosocomial in pediatric hospital |
28 |
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