Salmonella Panama: Genetic Diversity of the Isolates Collected from Human and Non-human Sources

Introduction: Salmonella enterica serovar Panama belongs to the D1 serogroup and is frequently associated with nontyphoidal salmonellosis in humans. This study aimed to characterize isolates collected from Northeast Brazil by phenotypic and molecular methods. Methods: Forty four S. Panama strains were examined for antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence genes, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types. Results: All strains were susceptible to antibiotics (except for streptomycin), presented classical virulence factors, and could be clustered into four groups and 18 pulsotypes. Conclusions: This work calls for continuous surveillance for the emergence of antibiotic resistance and new clones in a geographical area.