[Genetic analysis of lactose-fermenting Salmonella typhimurium isolated in Rio de Janeiro]

Lactose fermenting Salmonella typhimurium are endemic in São Paulo, but not in Rio de Janeiro Two isolations are described from the latter city. These Rio de Janeiro strains have a plasmid of 7.4 megadaltons. These plasmids were not auto-transferable, were thermostable and were not eliminated by acridine orange. One of these strains arose from a plasmid that had the lactose operon repressed, leading us to speculate about the evolution of the lactose fermenting character in Brazilian Salmonella.