Studies on the ecology of Salmonella arizonae and Salmonella houtenae in Toyama Prefecture

The ecology of Salmonella arizonae and Salmonella houtenae in Toyama Prefecture has been investigated since 1970, with special reference to the river water and the sediment. Samples were collected from 23 major rivers in Toyama Prefecture during the warm season from 1970 to 1978, and from 3 major rivers in the urban district of Toyama City, monthly or bi-monthly, from 1979 to 1986. Both serological and biochemical characteristics of the Salmonella isolates were examined in detail, as well as their lethality to mice and enterotoxin producation. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Thirty five strains belonging to 15 serotypes of either S. IIIa [arizonae] or S. IIIb [diarizonae] and 13 belonging to 2 serotypes of S. IV [houtenae] were isolated from 23 major rivers in Toyama Prefecture, while 92 strains belonging to 18 serotypes of either S. IIIa [arionae] or S. IIIb [diarizonae] and 5 belonging to 2 serotypes of S. IV [houtenae] were isokated from 3 major rivers in Toyama City. 2. S. IV [sachsenwald] (15strains), S. IV [houten] (1 strain) and S. IV : 44 : z4,z24 : -among them were the very rare serotypes in Japan, and the following 8 serotypes belonging to S. IIId [diarizonae]