Isolation of Salmonella spp. from local egg yolks in Urmia

Gastroenteritis, which makes about 15% of food borne infections in such countries as the United States, commonly occurs followed by drinking contaminated water. Raw feedstuffs of animal origin, esp. meat and eggs, play an important role in the transmission of the disease. Considering the important role of eggs in the transmission of salmonellosis and the high consumption rate of eggs produced by small-scale local producers in the region, 100 eggs were acquired from street vendors in Urmia and examined at Urmia Islamic Azad University microbiology laboratory. The isolation of Salmonella only from the yolk was performed by using the methods described in Harrigan and BAM. Six out of 100 examined eggs (6%) showed Salmonella contamination. The contaminated samples were then undergone serotyping using a polyvalent antiserum which finally showed that all isolated Salmonellae were motile and belonged to serogroup D (S. enteritidis). According to the high rate of infection in the eggs and consequently occurrence of the disease in case of consumption, making the public aware of the consequences of consuming such products and avoiding consumption of unpasteurized food of animal origin is recommended.