Iron requirement in the infection of Salmonella and its relevance to poultry health

Abstract Iron is essential for DNA synthesis, respiration, energy metabolism, and key metabolic reactions intrinsic to life due to its capability to accept and release electrons easily and its indispensability for most of the creatures on the earth including bacteria and poultry. Salmonella species, the gram-negative foodborne facultative anaerobes, are notorious enteric pathogens that have a wild range of animal hosts, causing enormous agricultural loss and medical burden around the world. Non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica (NTS) infections in poultry are important causes of human salmonellosis. Healthy poultry can be asymptomatically colonized by NTS. However, birds may carry in their intestine this organism undetected into the abattoir at the time of slaughter, thereby representing a food-safety risk for consumers. To reduce the risk of salmonellosis, the prevention of S. enterica serovars from colonization and invasion of the gut through limiting their iron acquisition can be an effective approach. This review summarizes the biological roles of iron and iron homeostasis in both Salmonella and poultry, competition for iron between Salmonella and hosts, and potential strategies targeting iron acquisitions to control Salmonella infection in poultry.