Reptiles are becoming increasingly popular in recent years as pets, and they are often used as a teaching aid in schools. They are often cited as potential carriers of salmonella, so working with them requires caution and proper hygiene. In surveyed reptiles salmonella was confirmed in 42.4% of the animals. The most infected were lizards (58.8%), followed by snakes (42.9%), while in turtles they were not identified. Most of the isolates belonged to Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, in four cases Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae was isolated. Thirty-three percent of salmonella strains were resistant against the tested antimicrobials, majority to streptomicin. We also verified the presence of genes for beta-lactamases and quinolone resistance genes (qnr). Although there were two isolates resistant to ampicillin, we did not confirm the presence of bla genes and qnr genes. In salmonella strains from reptiles we also confirmed the presence of genes for virulence factors (invA, spoB, sifA, spvC), of which 92.3% strains contained invA. The majority of strains contained two or three of the tested genes for virulence factors. Due to the presence of virulence factors salmonella strains from reptiles are potentially pathogenic for humans. To prevent transmission of salmonella, we must pay attention to proper hand hygiene and equipment for reptile handling. Moreover, young children, people with weakened immune systems and the elderly should avoid all contact with reptiles.
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