[The taxonomy of Salmonella].

A collection of 88 Salmonella reference strains including the so-called subgenus I (20 strains), subgenus II (21 strains), subgenus III (= Arizona, 21 strains), subgenus IV (20 strains) and 6 atypical strains (bongor group) was submitted to 90 carbon source utilization tests and 41 biochemical tests. A cluster analysis (Jaccard coefficient, clustering according to the variance) yielded 7 phenons; 35 strains from these 7 phenons were studied by DNA relatedness (S1 nuclease method with DE81 filters). Six hybridization groups, largely concordant with the phenon, were distinguished. Comparison of phenetic and genomic criteria allowed us to subdivide the genus Salmonella into 6 taxa corresponding to (1) subgenus I, subdivided phenotypically into an adapted group and a ubiquitous group, (2) subgenus II, (3) monophasic serovars of subgenus III, (4) diphasic serovars of subgenus III, (5) subgenus IV, and (6) bongor group. The taxonomic level of each of the 6 taxa is not that of a subgenus, but that of a subspecies.