Clinical Characteristics, Virulence, Drug Resistance, and Molecular Typing of Monophasic Variant Strains of Salmonella Typhimurium in Children

Over the past two decades, the monophasic variant of Salmonella Typhimurium (S.1,4,[5],12:i:-) has rapidly spread globally and has become one of the most common serotypes of Salmonella infections in children. This serotype is a monophasic variant of Salmonella Typhimurium (S.Typhimurium), sharing similar antigenic forms but lacking the expression of phase II flagellar antigen. However, systematic studies on the clinical characteristics, virulence, drug resistance, and molecular typing of S.1,4,[5],12:i:- infections in pediatric populations remain scarce. To investigate the clinical characteristics and drug resistance of S.1,4,[5],12:i:- infections in children, providing references and theoretical bases for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, to preliminarily explore the associations between clinical characteristics and virulence genes, as well as between drug resistance status and resistance mechanisms in pediatric-prevalent S.1,4,[5],12:i:- strains, in order to provide scientific evidence for targeted prevention and treatment strategies.