A review of the environmental spread of Salmonella enterica serovars through water in Africa.

Abstract

Salmonella is an enteric pathogenic bacterium in mammals that thrives in sewage, soil, and aquatic environments because of its wide ecological adaptability. The spread of Salmonella infection is associated with a lack of clean water, poor hygiene, and poor sanitation in developing countries. However, the input of Salmonella-contaminated surface water and groundwater in the environmental dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella is obscure outside developed countries. This study aimed to assess literature that described Salmonella from groundwater, surface water, and treated water in Africa and profiled the bacteria for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We seek to highlight the pitfalls in S. enterica identification schemes and determine the entry routes of S. enterica into surface water and groundwater to comprehend the spread patterns of S. enterica through the water ecosystem. Salmonella was frequently recovered not only from groundwater but also from unprotected springs and river water in Africa. However, the insufficiency of standard methods limited the speciation of the bacteria and only a few studies determined the isolates' AMR patterns. Integrating the Salmonella surveillance in environmental and treated water into the global Salmonella surveillance can assist in controlling typhoid fever spread and generally reduce the burden of waterborne infections in Africa.