Molecular elucidation of the evolutionary success of salmonella Kentucky ST198

Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky (S. Kentucky) is a common cause of gastro-enteritis. Although resistance to critically important antibiotics for human medicine is rare among Salmonella species, the clonal variant S. Kentucky ST198 poses an exemption. Phylogeographic analysis indicates this clone first emerged in Egypt around 1989, before disseminating into Northern, Southern and Western Africa, and then further to the Middle East, Asia and Europe. It is extremely resistant to commonly used antibiotics, and poses a real threat to human health. Although it is meticulously monitored, the underlying mechanisms explaining its evolutionary success so far remain cryptic. In this project, we will perform a detailed investigation of the genetic background and specific features of this clone, in a broader context of elucidating why certain pathogens are more prone to incorporate antimicrobial resistance traits.