MLBA 16: August / September 2010

 

 

 

S.Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium, as two main zoonotic and broad-host-range pathogens that cause human salmonellosis, have been frequently isolated from poultry and their products. Prevalence of Salmonella differs between layers and broilers.

 

Factors influencing the prevalence of chicken-associated Salmonella are feeds and growth environment, transportation process, and chick sources. Moreover, age-associated prevalence has been reported in layers, maximal prevalence at 18 weeks before egg production and gradually decreases with aging. In broiler the prevalence differed depending on sale sites from 17.9% in slaughterhouses and up to nearly 100% in the open markets and supermarkets.

 

Appearance of monophasic variants such as in S. Typhimurium increases the problem in serotyping. Therefore, molecular methods have been developed to differentiate the serovars based on the nucleotide sequence variations in flagellar structural genes fliC and fljB and PFGE analysis. Prevalent serovars differ between chickens and ducks and are associated with chicken lines and geographic area. In Taiwan, we reported that Salmonella serogroup C1 and B, especially S. Typhimurium, were predominant Salmonella in duck and geese.