This is a gram negative mutated pathogen from the salmonella spp. Thw discovery of this pathogen was first made in North America and Europe. This pathogen carries antimicrobial resistance genes within its chromosomes which are resistant to antibiotics which were used on hosts infected by this pathogen such as ampicilin and chloramphenol. The original salmonella spp are under normal conditions found in eggs, egg products, cattle and poultry. The normal transmission cycle of this pathogen is through human consumption of products derived from infected animals or by coming to direct contact with them.

The effects of cross contamination during or preparation of meat or egg food products has resulted in this strain not only having prevalent hosts as a mode of transmission, it has established other hosts as new vehicles of its transmission. However it has been reported that the Salmonella typhiminum DT104 was found in other products which it was unprecedented in such as peanut butter, tomatoes and mangoes. OutbreaksOutbreaks resulting from the salmonell typhiuminum DT104 strain include a case(s) whereby Salmonella related infections were observed through serotyping which lead to the identification of 78 infections in 13 states of the US. The cause was pointed to the hosts’ ingestion of imported mangoes. In the UK an outbreak that ensued in 1999 whereby patients who had been observed to have the mutated strain pathogen due to their symptoms manifestations such as septicemia, out of the reported cases 41% of the infected hosts were hospitalized while 31% of the cases ended in the death of the infected host(s). the cause of the outbreak was linked to the ingestion of chicken and pork sausages that had been imported.

However 15% of the cases were caused by direct contact with infected animals. Prevention and treatmentThere is no absolute cure for persons with the pathogen due to its multi drug resistance nature. Therefore preventative measures remain the current solution to be undertaken, these measures include implementation of the HACCP for all manufactures of poultry and other meats, biosecurity and stringent testing of imported and exported foods should be enforced. While in the backyard of livestock breeders and humans exposure to the mutated pathogen can be minimized by supplying an immunity boost. Furthermore since consumption of infected livestock is the predominant mode of transmission, the feed which is supplied to livestock should be cleaned, disinfected and pelletized to minimize the risk of infection from Salmonella typhiminum DT104.