Genomic signatures distinguish isolates of Salmonella Typhimurium from humans and livestock

Genomic analysis of 1,398 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium genomes shows human-associated isolates can be distinguished from poultry, bovine, and swine isolates.

• Why it matters: It is unclear whether human disease isolates represent the broader livestock reservoir or a specific subset with distinct genetic features.
• What they did: Whole-genome multilocus sequence typing profiles were converted to a gene presence/absence matrix and classified with four machine-learning algorithms, then tested for enriched or depleted genes within ST19.
• The result: Within ST19, 97 genes were enriched and 36 depleted in human-associated genomes versus each livestock source, including human-enriched lipopolysaccharide and virulence genes and depleted galactitol utilization and virulence genes.

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