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In Canada and worldwide, Salmonella remains a serious public health concern. While commonly thought of as food poisoning, Salmonella can be responsible for two major disease syndromes. The first, typhoid fever, is relatively rare in Canada. The second, gastroenteritis, is much more common. One of the main risk factors for North Americans is international travel, especially to developing countries. Dr. Aaron White is working to develop a travellers’ vaccine for Salmonella gastroenteritis.

In their study of Salmonella, Dr. White and his team of researchers have discovered a novel polysaccharide substance that, when introduced into the body, stimulates the production of antibodies. Further testing using a mouse model will determine if immunization with this substance will provide cross-protection against a wide range of Salmonella. Cross-protection is an essential requirement for an effective human Salmonella vaccine.

Dr. White intends to use the information learned from the experiments for further testing of a potential vaccine. An effective vaccine against Salmonella gastroenteritis would be a world-first in reducing the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal infection and the serious complications that can accompany it.

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