S. Cubana¶

At a Glance


Antigenic Formula	`1,13,23:z29:`
Serogroup	O:13 (G)
NCBI Pathogen Detection	View isolates

Background Information¶

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Cubana (antigenic formula 1,13,23:z₂₉:–) is a serovar of the O:13 (G) serogroup. Salmonella Cubana was first isolated by Curbelo in Cuba from diseased baby chicks. This serovar is very rare. Serovar Cubana was also identified from environmental samples from a ready-to-eat granola and cereal production facility.

Genetic Characteristics¶

Serovar Cubana has been found to be polyphyletic with six lineages identified and three stand-alone singletons that do not cluster with any other Salmonella Cubana isolates. Some studies have found the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes in serovar Cubana isolates. Resistance to β-Lactam antibiotics was identified in a serovar Cubana isolate from a clinical case in the U.S.

Animal Reservoir¶

Serovar Cubana was mainly associated with poultry.

Geographical Distribution¶

Serovar Cubana has been found in the U.S., Canada, Cuba, and Sweden.

Human/Animal Outbreaks¶

Outbreaks have been associated with S. Cubana.

Year	Location	Associated source	Number of cases
1966	US: CA	Carmine dye capsules	7
1998	US: multistate	Alfalfa sprouts	34¹
2009	US: MN	Sprouts	2
2009	Canada	Onion sprouts and mixed onion/alfalfa sprout	14
2010	US: multistate	Alfalfa sprouts	3
2012	US: multistate	Sprouts	19

¹ Three serovars (S. Havana, S. Cubana, S. Tennessee) were involved in this outbreak.

Border Rejections¶

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

Recalls¶

Year	Location	Recalled Product	Type
2023-2024	US: multistate	Granola bars and granola cereals	Human food