Abstract:

Feed and feed trucks as sources of Salmonella contamination in swine

Paula J. Fedorka-Cray, PhD; Alex Hogg, DVM, MSc; Jeffrey T. Gray, PhD; Kenneth Lorenzen, DVM; Jaime Velasquez, DVM; Paul Von Behren, DVM

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Purpose: To investigate whether feed trucks and feed could besources of Salmonella contamination in swine operations.

Materials: Five hundred forty-nine swab samples were taken fromapproximately 25 different places in the grain box on 22 different feedtrucks and cultured for Salmonella spp. In addition, a sample ofthe feed components from 17 of those trucks was cultured for the presenceof Salmonella.

Results: Culture of both truck swab and feed samples indicatethat Salmonella was present on five of the 22 (22.7%) trucks. A totalof 549 swabs were cultured and the rate of isolation was 0.7% (four of 549positive for Salmonella). Positive swabs were recovered from threetrucks for a recovery rate of 13.6%. Feed was submitted for 17 of 22 trucksand Salmonella was recovered from four of 17 samples (23.5%). However,positive swabs and feed samples only matched for two trucks. No trucks hadbeen used to transport livestock within the past 30 days nor were any truckscleaned or disinfected between loads.

Implications: While sample prevalence of Salmonella infeed trucks is low (0.7%), the overall contamination rate for feed trucksis much higher (22.7%). The presence of positive feed samples suggests thatfeed could be a source of Salmonella contamination for swine.

Keywords: Salmonella, feed, trucks, food safety

Cite as: Fedorka-Cray PJ, Hogg A, Gray JT, et al. Feed and feed trucks as sources of Salmonella contamination in swine. J Swine Health Prod 1997;5(5):189-193.

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