An Outbreak Of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Kentucky Infection In Long-Nosed Fur Seals

An outbreak of salmonellosis occurred in a group of 7 long-nosed fur seals Arctocephalus forsteri undergoing rehabilitation after being found injured and malnourished on beaches along the northern New South Wales and southern Queensland coasts of Australia. Three of the 7 individuals developed clinical disease and died within 3 d. Clinical signs included profuse diarrhea, vomiting, depression, and lethargy. Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kentucky (S. Kentucky) was cultured from 2 of the 3 deceased animals. The other 4 animals showed similar signs and recovered following treatment. S. Kentucky (antigenic formula 8,20:i:z6) was isolated from the survivors and tissues recovered from post-mortem samples of deceased animals. The bacterium was susceptible to cephalothin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate, ampicillin/amoxicillin, tetracycline, and enrofloxacin. This organism has the potential to cause disease in aquatic wildlife, as well as posing a zoonotic threat to people who utilise the aquatic environment.