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General information
Salmonella belong to the family Enterobacteriaceae and are found in the intestines of animals and humans. In most cases, infection occurs faecal-orally or by feeding raw meat.
Salmonella infections affect almost all animal species. Compared to herbivorous pets, dogs and cats are more resistant to salmonella infections. Under favourable conditions, salmonellosis causes diarrhoea with vomiting and fever; in young animals, the disease can also become septicaemic. In reptiles and amphibians, salmonella can be part of the normal intestinal flora. In these animals, clinically relevant salmonelloses are associated with immune deficiency.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), about 10% of all human salmonella infections, which cause diarrhoea, are related to direct contact with excreting dogs, cats and particularly reptiles.
For some time now, ESBL producers have also been detected among salmonella, especially in livestock. Because of the ESBL problem, creating an antibiogram is essential.
In Germany, it is an epizootic disease in cattle that is notifiable upon suspicion. In other species, it is notifiable upon diagnosis. For commercial poultry in Germany, there is also an obligation to notify and inform the authorities, but this is strictly monitored and can result in official measures being taken in the flock.