DISTRIBUTION OF SEFA GENE AMONG SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS ISOLATES FROM POULTRY SOURCES AND POTENTIAL AS DIAGNOSTIC AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TOOLS

This study was conducted to detect the presence ofseJA gene among Salmonella Enteritidis isolates from poultry sources by polymerase chain reaction (Pf'R) and evaluate its potential as diagnostic and epidemiological tools. Thirty Salmonella isolates from poultry sources: broilers. broiler breeders, layers, hatcheries, and poultry abattoirs were investigated. Upper and forward primers were constructed based on the published sequence of the seJA gene that encodes the SEF14 fimbrial subunit (fimbrin). The size of target product was 526 bp. To confirm the specificity, the PCR products were digested with Bam HI restriction enzyme that divides the product to two segments of 186 and 340 bp. The PCR reaction was set up as described in the previous literature. All Salmonella Enteritidis isolates showed the presence of526 bpproduct. Noneofisolates belongingtoserogroups Band C were positive for the 526 bp fragment. The restriction enzyme BamHl divided each 526 bp product into two fragments of 186 and 340 bp. This pattern was demonstrated for all Salmonella Enteritidis isolates. The results of the present study showed that the seJA gene carries a high potential to be used as a diagnostic and an epidemiological 1001 for Salmonella Enteritidis