DOI: 10.62425/jlasp.1854455 ISSN: 2791-8645

Presence of Salmonella spp. in Laboratory Mice from Licensed Experimental Animal Facilities in the Aegean Region of Türkiye

Çağatay Nuhay, Serhan Akgöz, Emine Çiler Çimenlidağ Adalıoğlu, Ceren Halıcı Demir, Aliye Ebru Çelik, Aslı Kılıç, Asuman Soysal Sarışahin
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Laboratory mice are widely used in biomedical research, and the microbiological status of laboratory animal colonies is a critical factor affecting experimental reproducibility, animal welfare, and occupational health. Among zoonotic agents, Salmonella spp. remains an important pathogen requiring routine surveillance, as infections in laboratory rodents are often asymptomatic and characterized by intermittent faecal shedding. In Türkiye, data on Salmonella spp. in laboratory mice are extremely limited, and molecular screening studies are scarce. The aim of this study was to perform molecular screening for Salmonella spp. in laboratory mice housed in licensed experimental animal facilities in the Aegean Region of Türkiye using a molecular approach targeting the invasion gene (invA). Faecal samples were collected from 110 laboratory mice from 11 licensed facilities. Genomic DNA was extracted from faecal samples and analyzed by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using invA-specific primers. PCR positive samples were identified in two different facilities. Salmonella spp. DNA was detected in 3 out of 110 samples, corresponding to an overall prevalence of 2.7% with a 95% confidence interval (Wilson score) of 0.93%–7.71%. In conclusion, Salmonella spp. was detected at a low prevalence in laboratory mice in the Aegean Region of Türkiye. Although most facilities were negative, the identification of sporadic positive cases indicates that Salmonella spp. has not been completely eliminated from laboratory mouse colonies. These findings emphasize the importance of routine molecular surveillance and the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) based health monitoring programs to ensure animal welfare and experimental reliability.

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