S. Uganda¶

At a Glance


Antigenic Formula	`3,{10},{15}:1,z13:1,5`
Serogroup	O:3,10 (E1)
NCBI Pathogen Detection	View isolates

Background Information¶

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Uganda (antigenic formula: 3,{10},{15}:1,z₁₃:1,5) is a Group O:3,10 (E1) serovar. In US, human infections caused by serovar Uganda are uncommon. Between 1993 and 2000, an average of only 48 human cases were reported annually.

Genetic Characteristics¶

Serovar Uganda has been found to be monophyletic. In a Nigerian study, four serovar Uganda strains were isolated from camels slaughtered in Maiduguri central abattoir and one of strains showed resistance to sulfamethoxazole. Serovar Uganda isolated from fish in India harbored multiple virulence genes, including orgA (oxygen-regulated, involved in host recognition and invasion), invE/A (SPI-1, essential for host cell invasion), ttrC (tetrathionate reductase, conferring a fitness advantage), ssaQ (SPI-2 T3SS secretion system component), mgtC (SPI-3, promoting intracellular survival in macrophages via Mg²⁺ transport), misL (SPI-3-encoded autotransporter adhesin, aiding intramacrophage survival), spi4R/spi4D (encoding a T1SS), sopB (SPI-1/SPI-5 T3SS effector facilitating bacterial internalization), pip (SPI-5 protein inducing intestinal inflammation and fluid secretion), hilA (SPI-1 T3SS regulator enhancing invasiveness), and stn (Salmonella enterotoxin), and pefA (fimbrial virulence factors). Brichta-Harhay et al. studied cattle processing plants in US and found the most prevalent multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella serotypes identified were Salmonella Newport (53.1%), Typhimurium (16.6%), and Uganda (10.9%). All MDR serovar Uganda isolates in their study exhibited resistance to cephalosporins (ceftiofur and cefoxitin), along with either reduced susceptibility or full resistance to ceftriaxone.

Animal Reservoir¶

Unknown, according to the metadata from NCBI PD, cattle and pigs are potential reservoirs for serovar Uganda. Pigs and cattle remained the top two sources for non-human isolates.

Geographical Distribution¶

According to the metadata from NCBI PD, serovar Uganda has been reported worldwide but primarily in US (2,528 out of 3,310 serovar Uganda isolates available in NCBI PD were from US, accessed 06/01/2025).

Human/Animal Outbreaks¶

Year	Location	Associated source	Number of cases
2022	US: multistate	Pet bearded dragons	56
2022	China	Unknown¹	NA
2019	US: multistate	Papayas	81
2013	US: LA	Hog head cheese	6
2011	US: multistate	Cantaloupe	25
2001	US: NY	Pork	11
2001	US: Chicago	Pork	12

¹ Both Salmonella Uganda and Salmonella Idikan were isolated.

Border Rejections¶

Year	Exporting country	Importing country	Associated source	Product category
2022	Syria	Germany	Sesame paste/Tahina¹	Nuts, nut products and seeds

¹ Consignment was released later.

Recalls¶

Year	Location	Recalled food	Type
2019	US: LA	Hog head cheese¹	Meat and meat products (other than poultry)

¹ This recall was caused by a outbreak described above. Stallings Head Cheese Co., Inc., a Houston, Texas establishment, issued a recall of 4,700 pounds of their hog head cheese.