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By Mogens Madsen , Dianova Ltd, Denmark
Enteric Salmonella infections are the second-most frequently reported zoonotic diseases of humans in the European Union, being responsible for significant human illness, loss of productivity and mortality. In foodstuffs, Salmonella is most often detected in fresh broiler, turkey and pig meat. Salmonella is widespread in domestic and wild animals, and commercial poultry flocks are a large reservoir. When flocks become infected on the farm, Salmonella is usually carried asymptomatically in the gastrointestinal tract of the birds and may consequently be transferred to processed carcasses via faecal contamination. Further spread may occur during processing due to cross-contamination.EU control programmes
Salmonella prevalence within broiler flocks varies widely from one country to another. In a recent survey by the EU, flock prevalence was found to vary from 0 – 68.2% (Table 1). Consequently, the EU has set targets for Salmonella reduction in individual Member States. Legislation has been introduced that makes testing compulsory and specifies deadlines for establishing the required targets in breeders, layers, broilers and turkeys.
Salmonella prevalence within broiler flocks varies widely from one country to another. In a recent survey by the EU, flock prevalence was found to vary from 0 – 68.2% (Table 1). Consequently, the EU has set targets for Salmonella reduction in individual Member States. Legislation has been introduced that makes testing compulsory and specifies deadlines for establishing the required targets in breeders, layers, broilers and turkeys.
For the industry, it is important to be assured that the investments in programs for controlling Salmonella in poultry have a genuine impact on public health. An examination in 2000 of the cost-benefit relationship of the Finnish national control program for Salmonella in broilers concluded that there was a large saving on public health costs as a result of the program, and that the value of only one death avoided exceeded the cost of the entire program. Similarly the Danish control programme for pigs and poultry saved the equivalent of 25.5 million US dollars on health costs in 2001, for an outlay of 14.1 million dollars, and it was clearly shown that introduction of specific pre-harvest control programs for broilers, pigs and egg layers had a direct and significant effect on the number of human cases of salmonellosis (Figure 1).
Risk factors and intervention
The major risk factors for introducing Salmonella into poultry production are contaminated feed, infected breeder flocks, lack of effective biosecurity on farms, inadequate control of hygiene during harvest and transport of broiler chickens, and cross-contamination of carcasses during slaughter and processing.
The major risk factors for introducing Salmonella into poultry production are contaminated feed, infected breeder flocks, lack of effective biosecurity on farms, inadequate control of hygiene during harvest and transport of broiler chickens, and cross-contamination of carcasses during slaughter and processing.
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Source: World Poultry, Vol. 27, No. 7, 2011
