Abstract:

Fecal shedding of Salmonella by a cohort of finishing pigs in North Carolina

Peter Davies, BVSc, PhD; Julie Funk, DVM, MS; W.E. Morgan Morrow, BVSc, PhD

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This longitudinal case study investigated patterns of Salmonellashedding in a cohort of 41 finishing pigs in a finishing barnmanaged all-in-all-out. Drag swab samples of the finishing barnfloor were collected 1 day before placement of pigs (day 0). Individualfecal samples, pooled pen fecal samples, and feed samples werecollected on study days 2, 37, and 78. All samples were culturedfor Salmonella using selective enrichment. Serotypes isolatedwere Salmonella serotype Derby, Salmonella serotypeTyphimurium (Copenhagen), Salmonella serotype Heidelberg,Salmonella serotype Typhimurium, and Salmonellaserotype Mbandaka. Salmonella Mbandaka and SalmonellaTyphimurium (Copenhagen) were isolated from floor swabs priorto pig placement. The serotype profiles determined in both individualpig samples and pooled pen fecal samples were similar and changedmarkedly from day 2 postplacement, when Salmonella Derbycomprised 63% of isolates from pigs, to day 78 post placement,when Salmonella Typhimurium comprised 87% of isolates frompigs. The Salmonella status of finishing pigs is dynamicand our observations support previous studies that indicate thatinfection during the finishing phase may be the major source ofSalmonella found in market-age hogs.

Keywords: Salmonella, serotypes, finishing facility


RIS citationCite as: Davies P, Funk J, Morrow WEM. Fecal shedding of Salmonella by a cohort of finishing pigs in North Carolina. J Swine Health Prod 1999;7(5):231-234.

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