We investigated the prevalence of Salmonella in 227 small red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) from 2006 to 2008. A total of 130 turtles (57.3%) tested positive for S. enterica subsp. enterica. Twenty-two serotypes including S. Montevideo, S. Newport, S. Pomona, S. Braenderup, S. Sandiego, and S. Litchfield were identified. Salmonella strains with closely related pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns were isolated from several shops located in different areas from 2006 to 2008. Antimicrobial resistance was detected among strains of S. Montevideo, S. Newport, S. Braenderup, S. Sandiego, and S. Litchfield. The relatedness of antimicrobial resistance and PFGE profiles was not observed. The PFGE patterns of S. Poona strains isolated in 2006 and 2008 and the causative strains of turtle-associated salmonellosis in 2006 were identical. These results revealed a high prevalence of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica in red-eared sliders retailed in Japan. In addition, genetically closely-related strains of turtle-associated Salmonella were repeatedly introduced into Japan over the study period and were distributed widely in Japan. These Salmonella strains present a risk of a widely disseminated outbreak of turtle-associated salmonellosis.
Keywords: Salmonella; genetic characteristics; prevalence; turtle.