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Background Information: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Pomona (antigenic formula 28:y:1,7) is a serovar of the O:28 (M) serogroup. This serovar was first isolated 1941 from poultry. In a study of Salmonella from pet animals in China, serovar Pomona was identified as being the leading serovar identified in turtles (25%, 18/71). 

NCBI PD link for serovar Pomona: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pathogens/isolates/#(taxgroup_name:%22Salmonella%20enterica%22)%20AND%20computed_types:(%22serotype=Pomona%22)

Genetic Characteristics: Serovar Pomona has been found to be polyphyletic with two lineages identified. A study of Salmonella in pets found some multi-drug resistant isolates of serovar Pomona in cats and turtles and 6 isolates from turtles that contained extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes. A study of clinical and environmental serovar Pomona genomes found that many of the environmental strains had genes for the type 4 secretion system (T4SS) and identified genes associated with virulence factors such as fimbriae production and invasion regulation (invA, invB, invC, fimA, fimC, fimD, and fimF) from clinical and environmental samples. 

Animal Reservoir: This serovar has been commonly found in turtles and other reptiles, including alligators. 

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³Multiple serovars were linked to a series of 8 outbreaks from 2011-2013 involving pet turtles. The other serovars linked to these outbreaks included Sandiego, Newport, Poona, I 4,[5],12:i:-, and Typhimurium. The case number represents the total number of cases associated with the outbreak. The case number individuals infected with Infection with Salmonella Pomona was 23 people occurred during Outbreak 2 (23 people) and Outbreak 5 (120 people during Outbreak 5). 

Border Rejections: There have been no recent border rejections linked to this serovar. 

Recalls: There have been no recent recalls linked to this serovar. 

Relevant Links and References: 

1. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a118994
2. https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.03542-23
3. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1547190/abstract
4. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2024.2336597
5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.025
6. https://doi.org/10.1177/0300985816677149
7. https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/turtles-08-23/index.html
8. https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/stanley-07-22/investigation.html
9. https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/salmonella/small-turtles-03-12/index.html