Salmonella: clinical importance and evolution of nomenclature. Chang Gung Med

Salmonella is an important pathogen for both humans and animals. Although the organism has been intensively studied during the last century, much remains to be learned about this pathogen. The complicated nomenclature system of Salmonella has long been a subject of discussion. In 2005, “Salmonella enterica ” finally gained official approval as the type species of the genus Salmonella. The genus Salmonella also contains the species “Salmonella bongori ” in addition to a new species, “Salmonella subterranean”, which was recognized in 2005. Unlike other bacterial genera, Salmonella organisms are differ-entiated by serotyping analysis. Presently, new serotypes (serovars) are still being discovered each year, adding to the complexity of this large bacterial population. Despite the con-served genetic background, molecular analysis has indicated successful evolution of the Salmonella genome in response t