ABSTRACT
All members of the genus Salmonella are gram-negative facultatively anaerobic peritrichously agellated rods. The natural habitat of Salmonella spp. is the intestinal tract of mammals and avian species, most notably including poultry. Major metabolic characteristics of most isolates involve the fermentation of glucose with acid production and the ability to produce H2S. The genus Salmonella is presently composed of two species, Salmonella enterica and Salmonella bongori. S. enterica consists of six subgroups, groups I (S. enterica subsp. enterica) II, IIa, IIIb, IV, and VI. Only S. enterica subsp. enterica is considered of clinical relevance, and this subspecies includes the pathogen associated with typhoid fever S. enterica serovar Typhi. The other subspecies and S. bongori are usually associated with the environment or reptiles and are not regarded as clinically important.
