Durda Slavic and Sarah Lippert

Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON. 

AHL Newsletter 2024;28(4):8.

The bacteriology section at AHL has validated the use of the Check&Trace Salmonella serotyping method (CTS). It is a PCR based method that can be used to differentiate more than 50 different Salmonella serotypes frequently isolated from poultry environmental samples, as well as from clinical samples in all animal species (Table 1). 

AHL forwards Salmonella spp. to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for serotyping.  Frequently, this testing takes 3-4 weeks, and may take longer if environmental Salmonella spp. are submitted. When a faster turn-around-time (TAT) for serotyping is needed to confirm/exclude any of the serotypes from Table 1, the CTS test can now be requested. This test can only be done on pure bacterial cultures of isolates already identified as Salmonella spp. The price per isolate is $75 and the test code is ‘bssero’. If culture and/or bacterial identification are required prior to serotyping, extra charges will apply. For additional information please contact ahlbact@uoguelph.ca

Table 1.  Salmonella serotypes detected by CTS.