Prevalence and Characteristics of Salmonella from Tibetan Pigs in Tibet, China.

This study aimed to understand the epidemiological characteristics of Salmonella in Tibetan pigs. We isolated, identified, and examined via antimicrobial susceptibility testing on Salmonella from Tibetan pigs breeder farms and slaughterhouses in Tibet, China. A genetic evolutionary tree was constructed on the basis of whole genome sequencing (WGS). A total of 81 Salmonella isolates were isolated from 987 samples. The main serovars were Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella London in Tibetan pigs. The isolated Salmonella Typhimurium isolates subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed varying degrees of resistance to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and amphenicols. WGS analysis was performed on 20 Salmonella Typhimurium isolates in Tibet (n = 10), Jiangsu (n = 10), and 205 genome sequences downloaded from the Enterobase database to reveal their epidemiological and genetic characteristics. They were divided into two clusters based on core genome single-nucleotide polymorphisms: Cluster A with 112 isolates from Tibet and other regions in China and Cluster B with 113 isolates from Jiangsu and other regions. The isolates in Cluster A were further divided into two subclusters: A-1 with 40 isolates including Tibet and A-2 with 72 isolates from other regions. Virulence factors analysis revealed that all isolates from Tibet carried adeG, but this observation was not as common in Salmonella isolates from Jiangsu and other regions of China. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) analysis showed that all isolates from Tibet carried bla_TEM-55 and rmtB, which were absent in Salmonella isolates from Jiangsu and other regions of China. Genetic characteristic analysis and biofilm determination indicated that the biofilm formation capabilities of the isolates from Tibet were stronger than those of the isolates from Jiangsu and other regions of China. Our research revealed the epidemic patterns and genomic characteristics of Salmonella in Tibetan pigs and provided theoretical guidance for the prevention and control of local salmonellosis.