Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Salmonella Spp. Isolated from Snakes in Peninsular, Malaysia

Salmonellosis is an important zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution. Reptile-associated Salmonellosis in humans is an increasing public health concern. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella isolated from snakes. Cloacal swab samples were used for isolation by conventional culture, biochemical and serological test. Confirmations of Salmonella were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using genus specific primers for invA genes. A total of 42 snakes were screened for the presence of Salmonella, 16 (38%) were positive for Salmonella. Among those positive for Salmonella serovars, 11 were from the wild snakes while 5 were captive snakes. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of Salmonella between wild and captive snakes (p-value = 0.096). The serovars identified were Salmonella Typhimurium (n=2), S. Corvallis (n=2), S. Poona (n=1) and S. Mbandaka (n=2), while the rest untypable S. enterica (n=9). The resistance to antibiotics observed are as follows; cephalexin (12.5%), cephalothin (12.5%) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (6.25%). Interestingly all Salmonella isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol, gentamycin, enrofloxacin, sulphamethazole-trimethoprim and tetracycline. To avoid Salmonella transmission, veterinarians and reptile keepers should take hygienic precautions to minimise reptile-associated salmonellosis.