Researchers from the Department of Pathology at Tuskegee University have advanced the detection of Salmonella in commercial poultry houses. By utilizing the AirPrep Cub Sampler for air collection and swabbing farm workers' boots, samples were gathered from seven commercial operations across the U.S. These samples were rapidly concentrated using the Concentrating Pipette™, improving PCR detection and allowing differentiation between live and dead Salmonella.
Results:
- Salmonella was detected in all air filter and boot swab samples, identifying a total of 27 serovars.
- The Concentrating Pipette™ successfully enabled differentiation between live and dead/lysed Salmonella.
Conclusions:
Detecting Salmonella in both air and boot swab samples sheds light on its environmental distribution on poultry farms. The diversity and number of serovars varied between farms, likely influenced by management practices, biosecurity measures, and microbiological dynamics. Boot swab samples revealed a greater diversity and quantity of serovars than air filters, suggesting that surface contact is a more effective means of capturing contamination. This underscores the importance of employing multiple sampling methods to accurately assess pathogen presence and diversity on farms.
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