Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #77757
Title: COMPARISON OF SEROLOGY AND CULTURE FOR DETECTING SALMONELLA INFECTION OF 5 TO 7 MONTH OLD SWINE

Author
item BAUM, D - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item HARRIS, D - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item NIELSEN, B - DANISH VET LAB, DENMARK
item Cray, Paula
item STECKLEBERG, K - DVM, CONRAD, IA

Submitted to: Swine Research Report
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Foodborne infections caused by the ingestion of Salmonella are of major concern in the United States. Many outbreaks of Salmonella have been associated with contaminated animal products, including pork and pork products. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mix-ELISA as an indicator of Salmonella infection in pigs. In study one, results obtained from pen fecal culture and serum mix-ELISA were compared with each other. In study two, the results of ileocecal lymph node culture and meat juice ELISA were compared with each other. In both studies, an experimental unit was defined as a population of 5- to 7-month-old swine at or within two weeks of slaughter. In study one, 18 of 47 groups of pigs had Salmonella isolated from the pen fecal samples. Groups of pigs that were positive had 3 to 17% of all pen fecal samples that were culture positive. The number of seropositive groups of pigs varied with the cutoff level used. In study ytwo, 23 of 32 groups of pigs had Salmonella isolated from ileocecal lymph nodes. Groups of pigs that were positive had 1 to 62% of all ileocecal lymph nodes that were culture positive. The number of meat juice positive groups of pigs varied with the cutoff level. There was no direct correlation between the finding of Salmonella in environmental fecal samples and the level of antibody to Salmonella in pigs. This conclusion does not suggest that environmental sampling cannot detect Salmonella in the pens of pigs. There was a significant direct correlation between the finding of Salmonella in ileocecal lymph nodes and the level of meat juice antibody to Salmonella in pigs. These results suggest that the mix-ELISA could be used to monitor the Salmonella status of farms by examining meat juice samples of pigs collected at slaughter.