DNA-based diagnostic tests for Salmonella strains targeting hilA, agfA, spvC and sef genes

The goal of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the hilA, agfA, spvC and sef genes amplification by PCR as a method for detection of Salmonella strains. Twenty nine isolates of Salmonella spp. including 6 different serotypes were analyzed in this study. The bacteria were isolated between 2005 and 2007 and serotyped at the Clinical Hospital of Infectious Disease, Cluj-Napoca. Ten non-Salmonella strains were also tested by the same procedure. We used a direct PCR technique, DNA extraction had been skipped and the bacterial cell wall denaturated in the first step of the reaction. All Salmonella strains gave positive results by the PCR amplification of hilA gene. The utilization of the sef, and spvC genes or spvC and agfA genes in a multiplex PCR provides a valuable diagnostic tool for Salmonella enteritidis strains.