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Created by
user-2cb76, last updated by Brad Yang on Mar 09, 2025
1 minute read
Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Cotham (antigenic formula 28:i:1,5) is a serovar of the O:28 (M) serogroup. S. Cotham is a very rare serovar; for example, this serovar was found to represent a very scarce percentage (0.01%) of all salmonellosis cases in the US since the 1960s.
NCBI PD link for serovar Cotham: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pathogens/isolates/#(taxgroup_name:%22Salmonella%20enterica%22)%20AND%20computed_types:(%22serotype=Cotham%22)
Genetic characteristics:
Animal reservoir: Serovar Cotham appears to be adapted to reptiles.
Geographical distribution: This serovar is very rare, it has been mainly reported in the US, but has also been found in Australia, Taiwan, Gambia, Nigeria, and parts of Europe, such as the UK and Ireland.
Human outbreaks: Currently only two outbreaks had been reported, which started in 2012, and 2024, respectively.
Year | Location | Associated source | Number of cases |
2024 | US: multistate | 26 | |
2014 | US: multistate | 166 |
1 Both serovar Cotham and Kisarawe were found.
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:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10562597/
- https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/cotham-06-24/investigation.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/cotham-06-24/details.html
- https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/salmonella/cotham-04-14/index.html#:~:text=On%20January%2022%2C%202014%2C%20CDC,reporting%20exposure%20to%20pet%20reptiles.