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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Livestock Behavior Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #185321
Title: PREVALENCE OF SALMONELLA ENTERICA IN MARKET-AGE TURKEYS

Author
item Rostagno, Marcos
item Wesley, Irene
item TRAMPEL, D - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item HURD, H - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2005
Publication Date: 7/20/2006
Citation: Rostagno, M.H., Wesley, I.V., Trampel, D.W., Hurd, H.S. 2006. Prevalence of Salmonella enterica in market-age turkeys. Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings. Paper No. 84.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of Salmonella enterica in turkeys on-farm and at slaughter (i.e., before and after feed withdrawal, catching, loading, transportation, and pre-slaughter holding). In each of the six commercial turkey production flocks studied, 30 birds were randomly selected from the production barn scheduled to be shipped to the abattoir in the same day, to be euthanized and necropsied. Individual samples collected included: cloacal loop, large intestine, crop, ceca, liver/gall bladder, and spleen. At the abattoir, 30 birds from the same production barn sampled on-farm were randomly selected in the slaughter line for sampling. Individual samples collected at slaughter included: crop, ceca, liver/gall bladder, and spleen. All flocks studied were positive for S. enterica at slaughter. No statistical difference was found between the overall prevalence found on-farm and at slaughter, based on any of the samples analyzed. In both sampling points, the overall prevalence found was 33.3%. Diverging prevalence estimates were obtained based on the different sample types collected on-farm and at slaughter. In both cases, cecal content samples had the highest relative sensitivity (73.3% and 68.3%, respectively). This study demonstrates that the perimarketing practices of feed withdrawal, catching, loading, transportation, and pre-slaughter holding do not significantly affect the prevalence of S. enterica in market-age turkeys. Therefore, our results indicate that it may be possible to monitor turkey production farms based on samples collected at slaughter.