Italian experience in Salmonella spp. isolations from 1973 to 1986.

A total of 150,072 strains of Salmonella were isolated in Italy over a 14-year period. The strains from humans, food, animals and from environmental samples reached the National Centre for Enterobacteria in Rome and the interregional Centres for Enterobacteria in Milan, Palermo and Pisa to be characterized according to their serotype. S. typhimurium was the most frequently isolated serotype from both humans and food in nearly all the years considered. Pork was the source most frequently found to be contaminated by Salmonella. Egg-based foods appear to be involved in such a contamination with increasing frequency.