Orphaned kangaroo and wallaby joeys as a potential zoonotic source of Salmonella spp.

Sixteen serotypes of Salmonella spp. were isolated from 37 (26.8%) of 138 orphaned kangaroo and wallaby pouch-young which were in the care of guardians in north Queensland. Sal. lansing, Sal. virchow and Sal. wandsworth were the most prevalent serotypes. Orphaned macropodid joeys are a potential source of zoonotic infection for Salmonella spp. and recommendations to reduce the risk of transmission to humans are presented.