AAMI Microbiology for Embalmers Practice Exam 2026 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

Salmonella species are inherently pathogenic and have the ability to cause disease across the genus. They carry virulence factors that enable them to invade the intestinal lining, survive inside host cells, and, in some serovars, spread systemically. Because these virulence traits are present throughout the genus, any Salmonella species has the potential to produce disease if the host is susceptible and the exposure/inoculum is sufficient. This is why, in microbiology, Salmonella is viewed as a disease-causing group across its members, rather than limited to a subset.