Salmonella serovars isolated for the first time in Poland, 1995-2007.

OBJECTIVES Almost each year, a few Salmonella serovars isolated for the first time are noted in Poland. Each such serovar should be regarded as potentially dangerous. Recognition of them and monitoring their occurrence and frequency of distribution in all sources is important to control salmonellosis, and is one of the roles of the National Salmonella Centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS Over 2000 Salmonella strains submitted to the National Salmonella Centre for reference identification were examined. All of them were isolated in Poland between 1995-2007 from human and non-human sources. They were serotyped and characterized biochemically according to standard techniques. The antigenic factors were identified by means of good-quality Salmonella specific rabbit antisera. The White-Kauffmann-Le Minor scheme was used to name the serovars. RESULTS One hundred and forty-five serovars were recognized. Fifty-two of them appeared for the first time in Poland. One serovar was found to be the new one. Its validation was done at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Salmonella (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France). It will be included in the next (10th) edition of the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor scheme. CONCLUSIONS Salmonella will continue to be the feature of humans, animals and the general environment. For practical purposes, we have to accept that Salmonella will not be eliminated and we must address our efforts to its controlling. Measuring trends in Salmonella serovars over time ought to be done to provide information about the efficacy of prevention and control measures. Results of this study are significant for these activities. They have also allowed to update the list of Salmonella serovars isolated in Poland during the last fifty years (1957-2007) which is presented as well.