Prevalence of copper resistant salmonellae in India

Sixty eight of 330 strains of Salmonella belonging to three different serotypes, S. typhi, S. typhimurium and S. bareilly, referred to at the National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, between 1989-1991 were found to be copper resistant. Maximum number of strains (39.1%) were resistant in S. bareilly serotype, followed by S. typhimurium (21.7%) and least in S. typhi (17.4%). Of the 15 States/Union Territories (UTs) from where Salmonella strains were received, copper resistance was observed in strains from 10 States/UTs. This resistance was maximum among the strains from Goa (85.7%).