Abstract
Salmonella is contracted through the consumption of untreated water and contaminated food. The contraction and spread of water-related Salmonella in resource-poor communities can be reduced by using solar disinfection (SODIS) to treat the water before its consumption. SODIS is a water sanitizing technique that relies on natural sunshine. It is a cost-effective, inexpensive, environmentally, and user-friendly means of treating microbiologically contaminated water. This water disinfection method has saved many lives in communities vulnerable to water-related infections worldwide. At present, the success of SODIS has mainly been attributed to permanent inactivation of water pathogens ability to grow. However, little to no information exists as to whether immune responses to the solar inactivated pathogens are induced in SODIS water consumers. This study assessed the potential for solar inactivated S. Typhimurium to induce an immune response in mice. Results show that solar inactivated S. Typhimurium can induce bactericidal antibodies against S. Typhimurium. Furthermore, an increase in the secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) was observed in mice given the solar inactivated S. Typhimurium. These findings suggest that solar inactivated S. Typhimurium induces a humoral and cellular immune response. However, the level of protection afforded by these responses requires further investigation.