Annals of Clinical Microbiology  2016;19(1):24-27

doi:10.5145/ACM.2016.19.1.24

First Report of Salmonella Serotype Tilene Infection in Korea.

Su Jin CHAE 1 ; Young Sun YUN ; Cheon Kwon YOO ; Gyung Tae CHUNG ; Deog Yong LEE

Affiliations

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Keywords

Exotic animals; Rare serotypes; Salmonella Tilene; Zoonosis

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Salmonellosis is a common food- and water-borne disease and is also a major zoonosis. Currently, the isolation of rare Salmonella serotypes is increasing every year in Korea. Among them, the Salmonella serotype Tilene was first isolated from two people who visited a hospital located in Andong-si in 2013. Clinical symptoms were weak or non-existent. There was no clear epidemiological connection between the two cases. However, it was assumed that both were independently exposed to a single infectious agent. Perhaps due to their geographical proximity, molecular epidemiological analysis showed the same result between the isolated strains. This serotype has increasingly reported an association with hedgehogs. Recently, the importation of exotic animals, including hedgehogs, as pets has been gradually increasing. Thus, it is recommended that high-risk groups avoid contact with exotic pets.