Salmonella enterica Serovar Gallinarum Biovars Pullorum and Gallinarum in Poultry: Review of Pathogenesis, Antibiotic Resistance, Diagnosis and Control in the Genomic Era

Mouad Farhat; Slimane Khayi; Jaouad Berrada; Mohamed Mouahid; Najia Ameur; Hosny El-Adawy; Siham Fellahi

doi:10.3390/antibiotics13010023

Salmonella enterica Serovar Gallinarum Biovars Pullorum and Gallinarum in Poultry: Review of Pathogenesis, Antibiotic Resistance, Diagnosis and Control in the Genomic Era

Antibiotics (Basel). 2023 Dec 25;13(1):23. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13010023.

Authors

Mouad Farhat¹, Slimane Khayi², Jaouad Berrada¹, Mohamed Mouahid³, Najia Ameur⁴, Hosny El-Adawy^{5

6}, Siham Fellahi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Pathology and Public Health, Agronomy and Veterinary Institute Hassan II, BP 6202, Rabat 10000, Morocco.
² Biotechnology Research Unit, Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Rabat, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, Rabat Principale, BP 415, Rabat 10090, Morocco.
³ Mouahid's Veterinary Clinic, Temara 12000, Morocco.
⁴ Department of Food Microbiology and Hygiene, National Institute of Hygiene. Av. Ibn Batouta, 27, BP 769, Rabat 10000, Morocco.
⁵ Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 07743 Jena, Germany.
⁶ Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 35516, Egypt.

Abstract

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Gallinarum (SG) has two distinct biovars, Pullorum and Gallinarum. They are bacterial pathogens that exhibit host specificity for poultry and aquatic birds, causing severe systemic diseases known as fowl typhoid (FT) and Pullorum disease (PD), respectively. The virulence mechanisms of biovars Gallinarum and Pullorum are multifactorial, involving a variety of genes and pathways that contribute to their pathogenicity. In addition, these serovars have developed resistance to various antimicrobial agents, leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Due to their economic and public health significance, rapid and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective control and prevention of these diseases. Conventional methods, such as bacterial culture and serological tests, have been used for screening and diagnosis. However, molecular-based methods are becoming increasingly important due to their rapidity, high sensitivity, and specificity, opening new horizons for the development of innovative approaches to control FT and PD. The aim of this review is to highlight the current state of knowledge on biovars Gallinarum and Pullorum, emphasizing the importance of continued research into their pathogenesis, drug resistance and diagnosis to better understand and control these pathogens in poultry farms.

Keywords: Salmonella Gallinarum; Salmonella Pullorum; diagnosis; multi-drug resistance; vaccination; virulence.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This review is a part of a “One Health” approach in genomic surveillance of antibiotic multi-resistant bacteria for the development of a national platform and the search for alternative sources of antibiotic potentiation in coordination with Polytechnic Mohammed VI University and INH institute.