Prevalence of Surface Swarming Behavior in Salmonella

Swarming behavior among 167 Salmonella sp. isolates, representing all eight groups, was assessed. Only eight strains failed to swarm under standard conditions. Four of the defective strains swarmed on alternate carbon sources, and four harbored general defects in motility or lipopolysaccharide. Thus, swarming may represent an evolutionarily conserved behavior in Salmonella spp.