Query: NC_015761:2982000 Salmonella bongori NCTC 12419, complete genome
Lineage: Salmonella bongori; Salmonella; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Salmonella bongori is the second species of Salmonella after Salmonella enterica and is considered a distant outgroup. This species is reptile-specific, is rarely found in human infections and it lacks SPI-2. This group of Enterobactericiae have pathogenic characteristics and are one of the most common causes of enteric infections (food poisoning) worldwide. They were named after the scientist Dr. Daniel Salmon who isolated the first organism, Salmonella choleraesuis, from the intestine of a pig. The presence of several pathogenicity islands (PAIs) that encode various virulence factors allows Salmonella spp. to colonize and infect host organisms. There are two important PAIs, Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 and 2 (SPI-1 and SPI-2) that encode two different type III secretion systems for the delivery of effector molecules into the host cell that result in internalization of the bacteria which then leads to systemic spread.