International Spread of an Epidemic Population of Salmonella enterica Serotype Kentucky ST198 Resistant to Ciprofloxacin
Résumé
National Salmonella surveillance systems from France, England and Wales, Denmark, and the United States
identified the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant isolates of Salmonella enterica serotype Kentucky displaying
high-level resistance to ciprofloxacin. A total of 489 human cases were identified during the period from 2002
(3 cases) to 2008 (174 cases). These isolates belonged to a single clone defined by the multilocus sequence type
ST198, the XbaI-pulsed-field gel electrophoresis cluster X1, and the presence of the Salmonella genomic island
1 variant SGI1-K. This clone was probably selected in 3 steps in Egypt during the 1990s and the early 2000s
and has now spread to several countries in Africa and, more recently, in the Middle East. Poultry has been
identified as a potential major vehicle for infection by this clone. Continued surveillance and appropriate control
measures should be implemented by national and international authorities to limit the spread of this strain.