Salmonella and Shigella carriage by gulls (Larus sp.) on the east Black Sea region of Turkey.

Abstract

Sea gull faeces (616 samples in toto) were examined for enteric human pathogens, and 1.3% and 0.60% were found to contain Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp., respectively. All positive samples were near sewage outfalls and refuse tips. The Salmonella serotype was isolated as S. typhi and the Shigella serotype as S. sonnei. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated from the faecal samples collected only in the Trabzon area.