Detection of Salmonella serotypes on tomatoes by PCR using gene-specific primers hilA

Salmonella, as a common cause of gastrointestinal disease, that transmitted through contaminated food and products causes many cases of illness death annually. Molecular diagnosis of Salmonella by PCR is used for many animal products, but it is employed as a detector (tracer) for the basic agricultural products in some cases. Tomatoes as one of the crops that are used as raw consumption have been known as one of the sources of Salmonella infection. In this experimental study, we used a PCR on specific primers for hilA gene of Salmonella to detect this gene at the surface and within the inoculated tomatoes, in an synthetic method and in a direct way after enrichment. The results indicate the effective power of Salmonella on the surface and within the inoculated tomatoes with doses of 101 and 102 bacteria per gram of tomato after 6 hours enrichment in BHI medium, respectively. This study indicates that PCR with primers specific for the hilA is a sensitive and acceptable method for the detection of Salmonella.