ARS | Publication request: DO TRANSPORTATION AND HOLDING INFLUENCE SALMONELLA BACTEREMIA AND POPULATION DIVERSITY OF CAMPYLOBACTER IN COMMERCIAL TURKEYS?

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2006
Publication Date: October 1, 2006
Citation: Trampel, D., Wesley, I.V. 2006. Do transportation and holding influence Salmonella bacteremia and population diversity of Campylobacter in commercial turkeys? [abstract]. Food Safety Consortium 2006 Symposium. October 1-3, 2006, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 2006 CDROM.

Technical Abstract: We have previously reported a shift in the distribution of C. jejuni and C. coli in market weight turkeys based on cloacal swabs collected on-farm and after transport to the abattoir. In contrast, we previously found no difference in the Salmonella prevalence based on transport crate swabs. The purpose of this current study was to monitor changes in Salmonella and Campylobacter in birds slaughtered on-farm versus those transported and slaughtered at a commercial abattoir. Viscera (crops, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon, ceca, gall bladder, spleen) were removed and processed for Salmonella and Campylobacter. Overall, when data for the six farms are combined, there was no difference in the recovery of Salmonella from turkeys slaughtered on farm versus those transported and slaughtered at the commercial abattoir. In contrast, when data for all of the six farms were combined, when compared to on-farm levels (3%) the overall increase in Campylobacter spp. recovered from the crop at the abattoir (24%) was significant (P<0.05%). C. coli was isolated marginally more often from the crop at the abattoir when compared to on-farm pretransport levels (P=0.0675). A similar comparison for C. jejuni indicated significantly more isolations from the gall bladder of turkeys slaughtered at the abattoir (11.2%) when compared to birds slaughtered on-farm prior to transport (0%, P<0.05). Taken together these data suggest that Salmonella and Campylobacter respond differently to perimarketing events.