MULTILOCUS ENZYME ELECTROPHORETIC (MEE) ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ISOLATES OF SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS

Seventy-three Australian isolates of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) were analysed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE) using a polyacryla mide gel system. Analysis of 11 enzyme loci identified eight electroph oretic types (ETs), with 61 of the isolates assigned to ET1, and 72 is olates considered to represent a clonal lineage. Representative isolat es of each of the Australian ETs were then compared with isolates from England, Germany and the United States, using a starch gel system and 13 enzyme loci. The overseas isolates formed a single ET with represe ntatives of the major Australian ET. It is concluded that Australian i solates of SE are closely related genetically to those from countries in which egg-borne transmission is common.