Application of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis for typing avian Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was performed for the molecular genetic typing of 30 Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica strains isolated from chickens and ducks in Thailand. Six different primers were tested for their discriminatory ability. While some of the primers could only differentiate between the different serovars, the use of multiple primers showed that the RAPD method could also subdivide within a given serovar. The Ready-To-Go RAPD analysis beads used, resulted in reproducible and stable banding patterns. As the RAPD technique is simple, rapid and rather cheap, we suggest that it may be a valuable new tool for studying the molecular genetic epidemiology of S. enterica ssp. enterica, both inter- and intra-serovars.