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Title: Location of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis on House Flies (Musca domestica) Obtained from Rooms Containing S. Enteritidis-challenged Hens

Author
item Holt, Peter
item Geden, Christopher - Chris
item Vaughn, Lara
item Gast, Richard

Submitted to: American Society for Microbiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/20/2008
Publication Date: 6/2/2008
Citation: Holt, P.S., Geden, C.J., Vaughn, L.E., Gast, R.K. 2008. Location of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis on House Flies (Musca domestica) Obtained from Rooms Containing S. Enteritidis-challenged Hens. American Society for Microbiology.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Background: House flies (Musca domestica) are generally regarded as important vectors of disease organisms and several studies were conducted to determine where Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) locates on/in flies exposed to the organism. Methods: Flies were released into rooms containing hens infected with S. enteritidis and the percent contaminated flies and the location of the organism on the flies and in internal organs were determined. A second set of flies were fed a solution of S. enteritidis expressing the green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene and then examined via digital imaging. Results: Flies from contaminated rooms rapidly became contaminated with S. enteritidis. Forty to 50% of the flies were contaminated at 48 hours which increased to 50-70% at 4 and 7 days post exposure and then decreased to 30% at day 15. High bacterial recoveries were observed from both external and internal culture regimes. S. enteritidis was isolated routinely from the fly gut, on rare occasion from the crop, and never from the salivary gland. Feeding flies the S. enteritidis gfp and then examining them via digital imaging revealed similar external and internal contamination, including very strong contamination of the eyes. Conclusion: These results indicate that flies exposed to an environment containing S. enteritidis readily become colonized and many areas on the insect can harbor the organism.