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Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Cubana (antigenic formula 1,13,23:z29z29:–) is a serovar of the O:13 (G) serogroup. Salmonella Cubana was first isolated by Curbelo in Cuba from diseased baby chicks. This serovar is very rare and mainly associated with poultry. Serovar Cubana was found in contaminated chick and pig feed. Serovar Cubana was also identified from environmental samples from a ready-to-eat granola and cereal production facility.
NCBI PD link for serovar Cubana: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pathogens/isolates/#(taxgroup_name:%22Salmonella%20enterica%22)%20AND%20computed_types:(%22serotype=Cubana%22)
Genetic characteristics: Serovar Cubana has been found to be polyphyletic with six lineages identified and three stand-alone singletons that do not cluster with any other Salmonella Cubana isolates. Some studies have found the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes in serovar Cubana isolates. Resistance to β-Lactam antibiotics was identified in a serovar Cubana isolate from a clinical case in the U.S.
Animal reservoir: Serovar Cubana was only found in chicken, and pigs mainly associated with poultry.
Geographical distribution: Serovar Cubana has been found in the U.S., Canada, Cuba, and Sweden.
OutbreaksHuman outbreaks: Outbreaks have been associated with S. Cubana.
| Year | Location | Associated Sourcesource | Number of Casescases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | US: CA | Carmine dye capsules | 7 |
| 1998 | US: Multi-statemultistate | Alfalfa sprouts | 34*1 |
| 2009 | US: MinnesotaMN | Sprouts | 2 |
| 2009 | Canada | Onion sprouts and mixed onion/alfalfa sprout | 14 |
| 2010 | US: Multi-statemultistate | Alfalfa sprouts | 3 |
| 2012 | US: Multi-statemultistate | Sprouts | 19 |
*: 1 Three serovars (S. Havana, S. Cubana, S. Tennessee) were involved in this outbreak.
Border rejections: There have been no recent border rejections linked to this serovar.
Recalls:
| Year | Location | Recalled Product | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | US: |
| multistate | Granola bars and granola cereals | Human food |
Relevant links and references:
- https://journals.asm.org/doi/epdf/10.1128/jb.51.1.123-124.1946
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119507593
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1547190/full
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM196704132761507
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22095679
- https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/genomeA.01112-14
- https://actavetscand.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1751-0147-47-13
- https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2016/02/Sprout-associated-outbreaks-2-24-16-1.pdf
- https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/07/fda-warning-letter-reveals-troublesome-history-of-salmonella-in-quaker-oats-facility-years-before-massive-recall/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X23067972?via%3Dihub
- https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/genomea.01184-13
- https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aac.47.4.1297-1300.2003