Search

Eggs and poultry meat are a common source of human salmonellosis. Contamination of poultry or poultry meat may occur throughout the production chain. Nevertheless, in Spain, noncontaminated broiler meat may be sold for human consumption from 2011. The aims of this study were as follows: (i) assess Salmonella detection from feces samples during the rearing and (ii) assess the influence of live transport to the slaughterhouse on Salmonella detection. During this study, 65 flocks were sampled at weekly intervals from the first day of rearing until slaughter. Samples of feces were taken from the litter using 5 pairs of cellulose sock swabs attached to boots and applied over the length of the house. To assess Salmonella detection rates before and after live transport to the slaughterhouse, feces samples were collected. Before loading, feces with 5 pairs of cellulose sock swabs were taken as described above. After transport, 2 pooled feces samples were taken directly from the truck (200 to 300 g each). All samples were analyzed in accordance with Iso 6579:2002 (Annex D). Results showed that regardless of whether broiler flocks arrived at the farm already shedding the bacteria in feces or they were infected during rearing, both groups described the same detection pattern, with the highest detection in feces at 14th day of rearing (50.5 and 34.5%, respectively). Moreover, Salmonella Enteritidis was the most prevalent serotype isolated during rearing (66.7%), followed by Salmonella Virchow (13.7%), Salmonella Hadar (9.4%), and Salmonella Ohio (2.8%). On the other hand, before loading and after transport to the slaughterhouse, 15.4 and 41.2% of feces samples collected were determined positive, respectively. In addition, a change in the serotype pattern was also observed. Salmonella Enteritidis remains the most prevalent serotype isolated (54.5%). Salmonella Hadar doubled the excretion rates (39.3%), and Salmonella Virchow and Salmonella Ohio were not isolated after transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Prevention of Salmonella contamination of poultry products requires detailed knowledge of the main sources associated with its presence in the production system. The aims of this study were to determine the main sources of Salmonella contamination in broiler production during growing, to assess the risk factors for Salmonella contamination at the end of the rearing period and to determine the main serovars involved in broiler production systems in Eastern Spain. A total of 65 different broiler houses from different farms were sampled. Each house was sampled at different times during the rearing period. First, when the previous flock was taken to the slaughterhouse, samples of dust, surfaces and previous flock faeces were collected. After cleaning and disinfection (C&D), samples of dust and surfaces were also taken. On the first day of rearing, samples of water, bedding, farming boots, meconiums, delivery-box liners and feed were collected. During rearing, feed samples were taken directly from the truck and from feeders. On slaughter day, samples of dust, surfaces, water, feed and faeces were also collected. Finally, two days after slaughter, carriers (rodents, flies and beetles) were trapped. All samples collected were analysed according to (Annex D) and positive samples were serotyped in accordance with Kauffman–White–Le–Minor technique. Our results showed that all different types of samples collected were contaminated with Salmonella (prevalence ranged between 1.5% and 38.6%). The most contaminated samples related with poultry production were: delivery-box liners (32.0%), faeces samples (31.2%), dust samples (25.0%), farming boots (19.7%) and feed from feeders (16.0%). However, the most important risk factors for Salmonella contamination of the flocks at the end of the rearing period were Salmonella status of the house after cleaning and disinfection, Salmonella status of day-old chick flocks and feed from feeders. Twenty-one different serovars were isolated from the samples analysed. The most prevalent were in decreasing order: Salmonella Enteritidis (52.9%), S. Hadar (17.8%), S. Virchow (8.9%) and S. Ohio (5.4%). The study suggested that there are many sources for Salmonella contamination and persistence in broiler production. Hence, the whole production chain needs to be controlled to eradicate the bacteria from primary production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Newcastle disease (ND) causes large economic losses in poultry production worldwide. Spain has reported two ND epidemics in poultry farms since 1993, the most recent in 2009. The recent increase in the number of ND epidemics reported in Spain and in other European Union (EU) member countries along with the failure to identify the source of the Spanish epidemics caused concern over the vulnerability that Spain has to the disease. Some of the epidemics recently reported in EU member states were associated with legal introduction of live poultry; the large number of susceptible species annually imported by Spain from the EU suggests that legal imports of poultry may impose a risk for the introduction of virulent ND virus (v-NDV) into the country. This article presents the results of the first quantitative assessment of the risk for v-NDV introduction into an ND-free country via legal trade of live poultry. The geographical variation of the risk and the relative contribution of exporting countries and susceptible poultry species to the risk were also estimated. The model here estimated that if prevailing conditions persist, then it would be expected that ND epidemics caused by legal trade of live poultry will occur, on average, once every 196 years in Spain. These results suggest that the risk for ND epidemics in Spain, and probably the sources of recent epidemics reported in the country, were associated with routes of entry other than legal trade of poultry.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is considered one of the most important diseases of poultry. During the last 9 years, HPAI epidemics have been reported in Asia, the Americas, Africa, and in 18 countries of the European Union (EU). For that reason, it is possible that the risk for HPAI virus (HPAIV) introduction into Spain may have recently increased. Because of the EU free-trade policy and because legal trade of live poultry was considered an important route for HPAI spread in certain regions of the world, there are fears that Spain may become HPAIV-infected as a consequence of the legal introduction of live poultry. However, no quantitative assessment of the risk for HPAIV introduction into Spain or into any other EU member state via the trade of poultry has been published in the peer-reviewed literature. This article presents the results of the first quantitative assessment of the risk for HPAIV introduction into a free country via legal trade of live poultry, along with estimates of the geographical variation of the risk and of the relative contribution of exporting countries and susceptible poultry species to the risk. The annual mean risk for HPAI introduction into Spain was estimated to be as low as 1.36 x 10(-3), suggesting that under prevailing conditions, introduction of HPAIV into Spain through the trade of live poultry is unlikely to occur. Moreover, these results support the hypothesis that legal trade of live poultry does not impose a significant risk for the spread of HPAI into EU member states.