PHAGE TYPES OF SALMONELLA-ENTERICA SSP ENTERICA SEROVAR TYPHIMURIUM ISOLATED FROM PRODUCTION ANIMALS AND HUMANS IN DENMARK

S. Typhimurium is one of the 2 most common salmonella serotypes causin g human salmonellosis in Denmark. In order to illustrate the significa nce of different production animals as a source of infection, 1461 iso lates were characterized by phage typing. The isolates originated from human patients and from cattle, pigs and poultry. By phage typing the isolates could be separated in 35 different phage types. Five types ( 10, 12, 66, 110 and 135) predominated and comprised 78.8% of the isola tes. In humans, 57.3% of the isolates were phage type 12. This phage t ype was also predominant in pig herds and, to a lesser degree, in catt le. Phage types 110, 120, 135 and 193 constituted 86.5% of the poultry isolates while these phage types only made up 12.9% of the human isol ates. The investigation showed that pigs are probably a major source o f S. Typhimurium infection in humans in Denmark today.