Salmonella enterica colonization and fitness in pre-harvest cantaloupe production

Cantaloupes have emerged as significant vehicles of widespread foodborne illness outbreaks caused by bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella . The purpose this study was to investigate the efficiency colonization and internalization in cantaloupes relevant routes contamination. Cantaloupe plants ( Cucumis melo ‘reticulatus’) from two cultivars ‘Athena’ (Eastern) ‘Primo’ (Western) were grown commercial seed. Plants maintained NCSU BSL-3P phytotron greenhouse. enterica (a cocktail cantaloupe-associated outbreak serovars Javiana, Newport, Panama, Poona Typhimurium) contamination introduced via blossoms or soil at ca. 4.4 log 10 CFU/blossom 8.4 CFU/root zone, respectively. analyzed for enrichment accordance with modified FDA-BAM methods. Five randomly chosen colonies each -positive sample typed using Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer following multiplex PCR. Data prevalence serovar predominance fruit, stems soil. Of total cantaloupe fruit harvested -inoculated (n = 63), 89% (56/63) externally contaminated 73% (46/63) had internalized into fruit. Serovar Panama most commonly isolated surface while S. prevalent inside When inoculated one day post-transplant, 13% (8/60) shown translocate organism lower stem (ca. 4 cm) 7 days post-inoculation (dpi). We observed persistence up 60 dpi Newport being predominant 20 dpi. These data demonstrate that can lead plant a relatively high frequency. • Salmonella- internalization. Blossom inoculations resulted percentage S persisted soils post inoculation.